RSC All New Seasons

They did say the title but very quickly and tbh i didnt catch it. Sorry.

I didn’t see the Globe Henry VI this winter because I didn’t have a spare zillion pounds and a spare spinal column, so I’m happy to get to see it here, albeit in cut down form.

Nothing in their summer season appeals to me at all.

You think it will be cheaper ?

No, but the RSC make all tickets £15 for disabled people so I can see anything in SuA very cheaply. The Globe allegedly has a handful of disabled tickets available for limited performances but I’ve never seen them.

Another example of a non-classic was Trevor Nunn’s brilliant musical of Comedy of Errors and Greg Doran’s feeble musical of Merry Wives. New musicals are deemed acceptable, but Carrie came close to breaking that rule. At the time there were also complaints about them doing Les Miserables.

I wonder how The Boy in the Dress is doing now the Xmas holidays are over, January-March is often a tough period for sales up there.

Doing a show with children in mind and not noting school holidays is daft.

Its a decent enough hit. They said Saturday they are in active discussions with WE producers about WE transfer. Issue is as with other prospective transfers, the right venue. Im going to see this in a few weeks. While i agree it was an error not to programme a mainhouse Shakespeare along side., it hasn't been the flop some here seemed to be wishing.

Oh, did I annoy you with my usual negative views about the RSC under Doran ? Sorry. Actually I saw Trev the other day wandering around Oxford Circus tube en route to Jermyn Street, a massive folder of notes under his arm - I resisted the temptation to rush up and touch his clothing and prostrate myself before him but it was a close call. 

“Identify a successor” sort of assumes it’s someone already on their radar and possibly subordinate to him now. I think they need to keep him well away from the search for his successor, just advertise it openly and see who applies.

What is odd is how many good directors ,who’ve directed at least one excellent Shakespeare, have never directed a single thing there: Ivo van Hove, Robert Icke, Ian Rickson, Joe Hill-Gibbins, Tom Littler etc. For whatever reason Doran hasn’t used them. People like that shouldn’t be excluded from the search.

Nunn's musical production of Comedy of Errors, with Judi Dench, Roger Rees, Michael Williams, and John Woodvine, was one of the most joyous productions I've ever seen. I see the RSC are doing Pericles in late summer. I hope they won't cut it. 

Cirque, I think your list is interesting. One point I agree with is the fact that they have been constrained by the way they have needed to trawl through the canon. It makes more sense to have seasons of theme or as you say, look at what is happening in the country or even in the world. They did the Roman plays together for some inane reason but in fact each Roman play puts a different idea out there. Shakespeare wasn’t writing about Rome..and each of the great tragedies needs careful context and perhaps contrast. Above all they need to think about the timing. Leaving the over Xmas season with only one Shakespeare and tbh not a great one was a mistake and ok, do a kids’ show but time it to blast the half terms and hols and take it round to other places. In the West End parents choose all sorts for the children , competition is harsh. And i think they should not be afraid to ‘smaller’ some shows. The Taming off the Shrew was imo pretty awful but might have made a point in TOP as an edgy production going further than it did. Just a thought. 
Jan, your point about seeing better Sh prods elsewhere is an interesting one. Imo, Hytner nails it every time - his NT Othello was outstanding and now at The Bridge, JC and MND both really good. And yes, the Jermyn Theatre just gave us one of the best All’s Well I’ve ever seen. [seen a lot of all of ‘em] 
Jan, the amazing Comedy of Errors with Judi Dench wasn’t quite a musical as we understand it now but it was probably the most memorable, the funniest and the most groundbreaking of its time, ever seen. But this was now a loooong time ago. Shame we have to keep referring back to it. 
Just want to say that before Doran took over, his directed productions were the only ones with a bit of a kick and we welcomed his appointment. He was not responsible for the Barbican debacle and this and financial problems have bedevilled his reign.



Don’t ask me about the R&J sticks for swords or the balloons...no idea. 

Did you see that Comedy of Errors? It was in the early 70s i believe. Merry Wives was interesting, a starry cast that sold out and certainly a popular one with audiences, we went en famille and all loved it but the critics hated it.