WEEK 5 - SHAKESPEARE TODAY

Week 5 - Shakespeare Today

Analyse contemporary Shakespeare productions with reference to live performances you may have seen or clips or footage available online. You should comment on what you notice about them and how they differ from what you know about the original performance conditions of Shakespeare’s work? (Don’t be afraid to point out the obvious).

King Lear/Directed by Michael Attenborough/Almeida Theatre

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6LlHID4gD8

  • This clip clearly highlights the evident difference in lighting as the stage is purposefully lit in certain areas to help intensify the atmosphere and make the actor more visible to the audience. This of course would have been previously impossible in the original performance conditions.
  • The set also looks far more realistic and authentic than it would have done in the original performance. This further enhances the atmosphere and the audience's immersion in the piece.
  • The most notable difference in terms of the conditions is that Cordelia is potryaed bya woman instead of a young boy. This changes the perception of the character not only in the audience's eyes, but also in the other actors as watching and performing onstage with a woman instead of a young male would add a fair amount of authenticity to the character and diversity tot he piece as a whole.The original production would not have allowed a woman to portray this character, or even appear onstage in a significant capacity. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMezgn9QL-M

  • Once again the lighting is a very strong factor in the differences from the original production as it not only intensifies the atmosphere and makes the actor easier to see, but it is actually strengthens the visual effect of the storm that is happening in this scene. This of course would not have been possible during the original production.
  • The sound effects are another notable difference. In this scene, the sound effects are used to enhance the atmosphere that the storm is supposed to create by creating actual storm-like sounds of rain and wind. During the original production, these effects may have been possible to mimic to a degree but certainly not to this level.
  • The smoke effect aids in further enhancing the atmosphere of a storm. This may have also been possible in the original production, however it would have been difficult to do it to this level of precision and it would not have been as effective without being used in conjunction with the lighting plot. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApE4qkGNr10

  • This scene does not have much difference in terms of the original production's conditions besides the lighting. However this lighting is simply a "standard" lit stage and does not have a specific lighting plot. The effects of this lighting would have been easily recreated with standard sunlight.

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