Question 5 - Analyse contemporary Shakespeare productions with reference to live performances you may have seen or clips or footage available online

Analyse contemporary Shakespeare productions with reference to live performances you may have seen or clips or footage available online. 

From a young age, I found the idea of Shakespeare intimidating, fearing I could never understand, and empathise with, characters on stage in situations alien to me. However, as I have matured, and with the rise of modern adaptations, my interest in his plays has grown greatly, and I have learned to appreciate his work. For me, when I see productions, they become less about deconstructing every line, but more about relating to the themes explored, and struggles of characters that are as relevant as ever in this day and age. Shakespeare’s work can be used as a sacred, aged framework from which to build upon, with new ideas, concepts and contexts.

Recently, productions I have enjoyed were 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' at the Young Vic, 'Imogen' (Cymbeline) at The Globe Theatre, 'Julius Caesar' at The Donmar Warehouse, 'Hamlet' at The Almeida and 'Twelfth Night' at The National Theatre. All these productions were contextualised in the current time and brought to life in a different setting, from which I could relate to the characters and therefore understand them as we held common ground. Without this accessibility, were they set in Shakespeare's day, I would have found it hard to relate to the trials and tribulations of noblemen and knights. I also believe in the importance of diverse casts with different genders – using women and men instead of all male casts, as it was in Elizabethan times.

Imogen (at The Globe)

 

‘Imogen’, renamed after Cymbeline, was an especially interesting and powerful production, as it was done in The Globe, the very same in theatre in which Shakespeare's plays were performed in when he was living. It was inspiring to watch a diverse cast with a strong female lead reclaim the stage on which once only males could set afoot on. To watch it quite literally shows the time that has passed since his death, and the changes we have undergone as a society. You can see the contrast of the company's modern set, complete with harnesses, their polyester tracksuits, and black leather jackets, against an age-old theatre towering over them, complete with pillars, gold ornament, marble stairs, and wood detailing.

A major difference from Shakespeare's day was, of course, the change in focus from Cymbeline to Imogen, the play centring around her journey, rather than that of the King. Furthermore, this was captured in a modern London, in a tense and cold neighbourhood charged with the dangers of gang culture and crime. In a video linked below, the cast speak about the staging of the play in this setting, and the parallels that can be drawn. The play, for one, is full of violence and conflict, despite the fact it is a comedy, so is set in a world of violence and conflict that reflects the experiences of the characters. The actress playing the Queen says, ‘it's a really violent setting but I think modern days do sadly reflect that.' This production is more than a comedy, it also explores the holes in today's society - corruption, gang culture, bloodshed. Therefore, one could argue that Shakespeare's words have been powerfully harnessed to make a political statement in some ways, a great use of his classical text. The issues explored are not glamorised, and it is sad that what Shakespeare wrote about in his day can be applied to our world, that this violence still continues on a daily basis.

 The world they created and context of the play was entirely believable, which the set and lighting reflected, the cast wearing outfits that are seen in pop culture, advertising, and in the streets of London each day. The music was also contemporary, giving the scenes more colour, depth and structure, and adding layers of tension and fear into intense scenes. Moreover, the show was also physically brave and bold with contemporary dance and fight sequences we wouldn't have seen in Shakespeare's day, which dramatically communicated the risk, pain and effects of fights, heightening the sequences to reach large audiences. Lastly, the play included someone with cerebral palsy. Awareness of the disabled, diagnosis and help would not have been available in that day and age, let alone inclusion of those with special needs in the arts. I think it was an important and inspiring move of the cast to include him, as it shows that we are progressing forward in society, and that his role on stage is just as vital as every other equally talented actor!

Imogen - Modern London

A Midsummer Night's Dream (at The Young Vic)

In this modern adaptation of the much-loved and well known comedy, there were many differences to how it may have been staged in Shakespeare's day. The characters remained on stage the whole time, the floor completely covered in thick dark soil, in which the character's once white clothes become ruined with the grime of conflict, of confusion, desires and upset. The set design was done by Johannes Schütz, and brings the play to modern day, yet connects the characters to the earth and makes us feel close and connected to nature. The earth is also where our species once spent most of their days as cavemen and settlers, much more aware of the natural world and exposed to the dirt, foliage and animals that we now shelter away from in residential homes. The forest, or the natural world, has always represented a haven for disorder and chaos to manifest; for example, we can see this in the poems of Keats, and in in Grimm's fairytales. 

The back of the set is a mirror, which is painted grey by the actors at the end of the play before the acting group perform their play. Although this choice has a practical function to hide the actors in the play behind the sheet they used, it also held symbolism for me. It was as if the characters, on this wild journey of love, lust and disbelief, had let go of their external egos and been stripped to primal beings. The concealment of the mirror symbolised how they no longer longed to obsess over their outward appearances, as they lay on the stage, hair matted, breathing hard, covered in dirt, and pure.

Set Design Build of a Midsummer Nights Dream - As the link shows, the set was built in a theatre that can be totally changed each time a new production takes place, something unique to the malleable spaces of the Young Vic. The technology, teams and funding we have access to now to be able to do that would not have been available in Shakespeare's time.

The costume was also modern, and helped to reflect the characters and the changes they undergo as the play unravels. For example, some major characters in the play begun in plain, restrictive work suits and heels, and undressed into silk dresses and t shirts as they were exposed to the wildness of the forest. This transition was a great visual way of marking how a character can let go of artifices, masks and costumes that they carry in the outside world. 

The cast also used many everyday products we see in our society today, to illustrate certain moments in the play or as objects, which added an element of comedy but also gave the play a rough and unvarnished quality that reflected the world in which they staged the play, and kept the attention on the acting instead of the audience becoming distracted by dominating, detailed and bright set and props. For example, they used a crumpled Evian water bottle as the potion that causes Titania to fall in love with a donkey. 

The cast were very bold and explorative physically, heightening the feelings of sexual desire and awakening throughout the play but doing so in a form that felt raw and real. No movement was unintentional or only constructed to 'look cool', but felt like it genuinely came from the characters and showed their pains or joys throughout. In the costumes of Shakespeare's day, on a set full of props and with an audience with more conservative views, I can presume that actors would not have been able to be as brave and vulnerable on stage.

Trailer for show - this short trailer for the Young Vic's show helps to give you a glimpse into the dark and experimental show they created.

(sources - The Globe YouTube channel)