ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY
Artistic Director Michael Boyd discusses The Histories in the news
The Histories is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see Shakespeare’s complete History Cycle performed by one ensemble company of actors, directed by Michael Boyd.
DAILY TELEGRAPH
Michael Boyd: making Histories
www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/03/29/btshax129.xml
“The statistics of the operation are overwhelming. For the actors themselves, they have played many parts – 528 in all – as the plays unfold from Richard II, through two parts of Henry IV, Henry V, three parts of Henry VI and reach their bloody climax in Richard III. They have undergone 90 weeks of rehearsal, been seen by 175,000 people, and have used 800 costumes, 150 weapons and guns, and a staggering 15 litres of stage blood for each cycle. But it is the results of this marathon that have been so impressive…” – Sarah Crompton
SPECTATOR
Liberating Shakespeare
www.spectator.co.uk/the-magazine/arts/587306/part_4/liberating-shakespeare.thtml
“This is when Boyd mentions his desire to knock Shakespeare from his pedestal, and in the context it’s quite clear that he doesn’t want to damage the great man’s reputation in any way. The pedestal-pushing is about liberating Shakespeare, breaking him free from the stultifying grip of the Establishment; from a ‘Little England’ theme park.” – Mary Wakefield
THE GUARDIAN
It’s been a monumental task – eight plays, 14 roles per actor, a two-year run. And now it’s about to get even tougher. RSC actors stage every one of Shakespeare’s history plays.
http://arts.guardian.co.uk/theatre/drama/story/0,,2266431,00.html
“….says Slinger, is a niggling fear that the acting life doesn’t get better than this. “If I’m going to get withdrawal symptoms off any job,” he says, “it would be this one. In 14 years, nothing has come close to it as a total experience. I have no doubt that I will look back on this as a major, major, major pinnacle in my career. And it’s eminently possible that I will think, it’s never been as good as that.” – Maddy Costa
For more information: www.rsc.org.uk
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