June 21, 2010
Simon Callow is perhaps best known to many for his role as Gareth in Four Weddings and a Funeral. But his latest offering demonstrates both his flexibility as a performer and his real forte -Shakespearean acting.
Following the success of his one-man show The Mystery of Charles Dickens, Callow now takes us on a journey through Shakespeare’s life, centred on the Seven Ages of Man and interspersed with various extracts from Will's works.
Written by Shakespeare scholar Jonathan Bate, the play provides an extremely thorough and engaging account of the Bard’s life. Bate’s comprehensive knowledge of the playwright and his output is evident, right down to the minutiae of interesting Shakespeare trivia: did you know he invented the word ‘puking’, or that his father was once fined for not cleaning up a dunghill outside their home?
Callow is excellent throughout and manages to move seamlessly between his roles as both narrator and actor. He is evidently more at home in the latter, and it is his recitals of great speeches from Shakespeare’s most renowned plays that are the most remarkable. Mark Anthony, King Lear, Hamlet, Malvolio and others all feature and it is a delight to see Callow in such a wide range of roles in the one production.
The set is very simple, with just a few books, a mobile, a globe and a toy dog on stage, but the lighting and sound effects enhance Callow’s performance. This simplicity rightly makes the actor’s great presence and adaptability the focus of the play.
Such a one-man show always runs the risk of becoming a kind of lecture, but Shakespeare: The Man from Stratford is certainly a show, and director Tom Cairns ensures that the audience is kept entertained. This original and enjoyable production brings Shakespeare and his characters to life and makes clear just why his work is still revered almost four centuries after his death.
Following the success of his one-man show The Mystery of Charles Dickens, Callow now takes us on a journey through Shakespeare’s life, centred on the Seven Ages of Man and interspersed with various extracts from Will's works.
Written by Shakespeare scholar Jonathan Bate, the play provides an extremely thorough and engaging account of the Bard’s life. Bate’s comprehensive knowledge of the playwright and his output is evident, right down to the minutiae of interesting Shakespeare trivia: did you know he invented the word ‘puking’, or that his father was once fined for not cleaning up a dunghill outside their home?
Callow is excellent throughout and manages to move seamlessly between his roles as both narrator and actor. He is evidently more at home in the latter, and it is his recitals of great speeches from Shakespeare’s most renowned plays that are the most remarkable. Mark Anthony, King Lear, Hamlet, Malvolio and others all feature and it is a delight to see Callow in such a wide range of roles in the one production.
The set is very simple, with just a few books, a mobile, a globe and a toy dog on stage, but the lighting and sound effects enhance Callow’s performance. This simplicity rightly makes the actor’s great presence and adaptability the focus of the play.
Such a one-man show always runs the risk of becoming a kind of lecture, but Shakespeare: The Man from Stratford is certainly a show, and director Tom Cairns ensures that the audience is kept entertained. This original and enjoyable production brings Shakespeare and his characters to life and makes clear just why his work is still revered almost four centuries after his death.