Favorite Shakespeare Performance 4

Ian, now Sir Ian, as Richard III, on stage at the National in London. He later produced that as a movie.

Listening to Act I again, the other afternoon, I marveled at how that original performance has stuck with me. Amazing. Got the movie on DVD here, someplace.

Favorite Shakespeare Performance 4

Mark Rylance as Richard II, Shakespeare’s Globe, 2003 season(?). What I recall, the way he delivered the lines, around Act III. He played a foppish, hinted at being “gay” without overt and without being overtly cloying in that position.

“For God’s sake let us sit upon the ground
And tell sad stories of the death of kings”

Richard II

I remember his delivery of that line, specifically, and not being attuned to the play, yet, that one stuck. What was more remarkable, I had decided, at the time, since I knew so little about the play, other than a precursor to Henry 4, pts. 1 & 2, I recall going in without too much prep work, wanting to see a play “cold,” as it were. Which, in turn, made the performance even more remarkable.

As an adjunct to that, Midsummer’s Night’s Dream on midsummer’s eve, at the Globe, and one other, think it was in the same sequence or thereabouts, with that Richard II, it was an all-female cast for Taming of the Shrew.

Favorite Shakespeare Performance 4

Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood — the book about The Tempest with a liberal dash of magical realism and screwy psychology layered up on top. Counts as an exemplary Shakespeare performance.