Performing Shakespeare's Tragedies Today
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Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-67122-4 - Performing Shakespeare’s Tragedies Today: The Actor’s Perspective Edited by Michael Dobson Frontmatter More information Performing Shakespeare’s Tragedies Today What does it mean to perform Shakespeare’s Elizabethan and Jacobean tragedies in the modern theatre? This book brings together the reflections of a number of major classical actors on how these works can most powerfully be realized for today’s audiences. Concentrating on the ‘great’ tragedies – Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth and King Lear – the actors offer unique insights into some of the most demanding and rewarding roles in world drama, by showing what it is like to play them on stage. Ten perceptive and articulate performers reflect on their experiences of ten major roles: the Ghost, Gertrude and Hamlet; Iago, Emilia and Othello; Lady Macbeth and Macbeth; Lear’s Fool and King Lear. Together, these essays provide a peculiarly intimate set of trade secrets about what techniques, ideas and memories actors may use when approaching tragic roles in Shakespeare’s most challenging plays. michael dobson is Professor of Shakespeare Studies, Birk- beck, University of London, and academic director of the Shake- speare programme at the British–American Drama Academy. He is theatre reviewer for the Cambridge annual Shakespeare Survey, and reviews Shakespeare regularly for the London Review of Books and BBC radio. © in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-67122-4 - Performing Shakespeare’s Tragedies Today: The Actor’s Perspective Edited by Michael Dobson Frontmatter More information © in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-67122-4 - Performing Shakespeare’s Tragedies Today: The Actor’s Perspective Edited by Michael Dobson Frontmatter More information Performing Shakespeare’s Tragedies Today The Actor’s Perspective Edited by MICHAEL DOBSON © in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-67122-4 - Performing Shakespeare’s Tragedies Today: The Actor’s Perspective Edited by Michael Dobson Frontmatter More information cambridge university press Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, S˜aoPaulo cambridge university press Cambridge, New York, Melbourne,Cambridge Madrid, University Cape Press Town, Singapore, S˜aoPaulo The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge cb2 2ru, UK Cambridge University Press Published in theThe United Edinburgh States of Building, America by Cambridge Cambridgecb2 University 2ru, UK Press, New York Published in the United States ofwww.cambridge.org America by Cambridge University Press, New York Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521671224 www.cambridge.org 2006 Information onC Cambridge this title: www.cambridge.org/ University Press 9780521671224 C Antony Sher: Iago C Cambridge University Press 2006 This publication is inC copyright.Antony Sher: Subject Iago to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, This publicationno reproduction is in copyright. of any part Subject may take to statutoryplace without exception and tothe the written provisions permission of relevant of Cambridge collective Universitylicensing agreements, Press. no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permissionFirst published of Cambridge2006 University Press. 2006 Printed in the United KingdomFirst published at the University Press, Cambridge APrinted catalogue in recordthe United for this Kingdom publication at isthe available University from Press, the British Cambridge Library A catalogueLibrary record forof Congress this publication Cataloguing is available in Publication from the dataBritish Library Libraryisbn of- Congress13 978-0 Cataloguing-521-85509 in-9 Publicationhardback data isbn-10 0-521-85509-8 hardback isbn-13 978-0-521-85509-9 hardback isbn 13 978 0 521 67122 4 isbn- -10 0--521- -85509- -8-hardbackpaperback isbn-10 0-521-67122-1 paperback isbn-13 978-0-521-67122-4 paperback isbn-10 0-521-67122-1 paperback Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication, and doesCambridge not guarantee University that Press any content has no responsibility on such websites for the is, or persistence will remain, or accuracy accurate orof URLs for external or third-party internetappropriate. websites referred to in this publication, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. © in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-67122-4 - Performing Shakespeare’s Tragedies Today: The Actor’s Perspective Edited by Michael Dobson Frontmatter More information Contents List of illustrations vi Editor’s preface vii Introduction michael dobson 1 Hamlet The Ghost, the Player and the Gravedigger greg hicks 17 Gertrude imogen stubbs 29 Hamlet samuel west 41 Othello Iago antony sher 57 Emilia amanda harris 71 Othello nonso anozie 83 Macbeth Lady Macbeth sian thomas 95 Macbeth simon russell beale 107 King Lear Lear’s Fool john normington 121 King Lear david warner 131 Index 143 v © in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-67122-4 - Performing Shakespeare’s Tragedies Today: The Actor’s Perspective Edited by Michael Dobson Frontmatter More information Illustrations 1. Greg Hicks as the First Gravedigger, Hamlet, 5.1. Photograph by David Howells. page 16 2. ‘Ah, my good lord, what have I seen tonight!’ (4.1.4): Imogen Stubbs as Gertrude, desolate after the closet scene. Photograph by John Haynes. 28 3. ‘Dost thou think Alexander looked o’ this fashion i’th’ earth?’ (5.1.193–4): Samuel West as Hamlet. Photograph by Malcolm Davies C Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. 40 4. ‘Not out of absolute lust...’(2.1.291): Antony Sher as Iago. Photograph by Malcolm Davies C Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. 56 5. ‘I nothing, but to please his fantasy’ (3.3.303): Amanda Harris as Emilia. Photograph by Malcolm Davies C Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. 70 6. Perplexed in the extreme: Nonso Anozie as Othello. Photograph by Keith Pattison. 82 7. ‘Yet here’s a spot...’(5.1.30): Sian Thomas as Lady Macbeth. Photograph by Malcolm Davies C Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. 94 8. ‘Why should I play the Roman fool . .?’ (5.10.1): Simon Russell Beale as Macbeth. Photograph by Hugo Glendinning. 106 9. ‘Here’s a night pities neither wise men nor fools.’ (3.2.12–13): John Normington as Lear’s Fool. Photograph by Malcolm Davies C Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. 120 10. ‘You see me here, you gods, a poor old man...’ (2.2.446): David Warner as King Lear. Photograph by Clare Park. 130 vi © in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-67122-4 - Performing Shakespeare’s Tragedies Today: The Actor’s Perspective Edited by Michael Dobson Frontmatter More information Editor’s preface This volume has emerged as a by-product of my work over the last six years describing every major Shakespeare revival in England for the Cambridge academic annual Shakespeare Survey, where illustrated accounts of each of the productions illuminated here can be found (in volumes 55, 58 and 59 respectively). I have followed Survey practice by keying scene and line references to the Oxford edition of Shake- speare (edited by Stanley Wells and Gary Taylor, 1986), though where these productions used different editions I have not altered the word- ing quoted by the actor. My model throughout has been the Players of Shakespeare volumes, the work of which in recording the perceptions and experiences of Shakespearean actors this book seeks to continue, and I would like to acknowledge the good advice and assistance pro- vided at an early stage by the principal editor of that valuable series, Robert Smallwood. Samuel West’s essay on playing Hamlet has been edited into its current shape from the transcript of an interview conducted with him in 2001 by Abigail Rokison, to whom both Sam and I are very grateful. vii © in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-67122-4 - Performing Shakespeare’s Tragedies Today: The Actor’s Perspective Edited by Michael Dobson Frontmatter More information © in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org.