Tag: #MUSC

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Plastic Shakespeare: There’s Something Fresher in The State of Shakespeare

MUSC’s Plastic Shakespeare presents two short plays based on the idea that Shakespeare can be on the one hand useful and malleable and on the other garish and opaque. The two very different works, Hamlet by the Pool and Engraft, equally enliven and update the bard while complicating our understanding of his modern-day relevance. Written and directed by Isobel Milne, Hamlet By The Pool is a punchy, pacey and … Continue reading Plastic Shakespeare: There’s Something Fresher in The State of Shakespeare

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English

Lɘar: Walking Backwards isn’t Easy

Melbourne University Shakespeare Company’s Lɘar set out to re-conceptualise both conventional theatre and the traditions of Shakespearean representation. Presenting an ambitious and transformative portrayal of the Shakespearean tragedy, Lɘar explored the consequences of hitting rewind, delivering a thought provoking and admirable performance. Adelaide Greig’s direction of Lɘar created opportunity for a wild shift in the presentation of the perennial tragedy: King Lear. Beginning from the original … Continue reading Lɘar: Walking Backwards isn’t Easy

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Shakespeare Revived

The Melbourne University Shakespeare Company’s Henry IV.i was more of an experience than a production. Every aspect of the performance, from its powerful cast to its genius use of set design, allowed the audience to suspend their disbelief and enter a world where notions of honour and loyalty were challenged. For someone who hadn’t previously read the play, and can often struggle keeping up with … Continue reading Shakespeare Revived

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Long Live the Queen

Performing Shakespeare’s plays presents any theatre maker with numerous obstacles: the language must be relatable, without losing the flavour of the original; the setting, if modern, must be unpretentious; and if traditional must still be meaningful to a modern audience. Ultimately, MUSC’s production of Henry IV Part 1, directed by James Christenson, manages to overcome these hurdles, and present a relevant modern adaption of Shakespeare’s … Continue reading Long Live the Queen

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Review: Antony & Cleopatra

Guided by focused performances, Liam Bellman-Sharpe’s Antony and Cleopatra is an engaging production that seldom slacks in pace as it hurtles towards its tragic conclusion. Genevieve Cassin in particular cuts a powerful Cleopatra, whose remarkable stage presence commands respect. The control she exudes on the stage makes clear that the puppeteer in this game of political intrigue is Cleopatra, and her boundless ambition is absolutely … Continue reading Review: Antony & Cleopatra

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Public figures in private: MUSC’s Antony & Cleopatra

In the lead up to the Melbourne University Shakespeare Company’s production of Antony & Cleopatra, Anthony Kuiper sat down with director Liam Bellman-Sharpe to discuss his adaptation of the play. Why Antony & Cleopatra? For a few reasons. It is a lesser known work but a well-known story. Everyone knows these characters and has associations with these characters. I think challenging people’s conceptions of what … Continue reading Public figures in private: MUSC’s Antony & Cleopatra

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