21st Folio Podcast

In this episode, we discuss the Schaubühne Berlin's recorded productions of Hamlet and Richard III, both directed by Thomas Ostermeier and starring Lars Eidinger. The productions are in German with English subtitles, and were recently streamed on the Schaubühne's website as part of their quarantine programming. The productions are modern dress and in German, with modernized German dialogue, though the English subtitles reproduce Shakespeare's text (rather than translating the modern German...

In this episode, we discuss the Groundling Theatre Company's current production of Julius Caesar; the genius of Moya O'Connell, André Sills, and Michelle Giroux; and the influence of Nicholas Hytner. This production is heavily inspired by Nicholas Hytner’s 2018 production (which we discussed here) of the play, featuring similar approaches to gender-swapping characters, as well as much of the same blocking and sets. Directed by Chris Abraham, the Groundling production is in the round in a...

In the latest attempt to adapt Shakespeare for modern audiences, Australian director David Michôd (The Rover) directs Timothée Chalamet in The King, a sort-of rewriting of Shakespeare's Henry IV Part 1 & 2 and Henry V. The film is set in the original time period, but Shakespeare's language has been gutted, while his structure is preserved, in favour of modern English with the occasional "ye olde" touch. The script, written by Joel Edgerton (who stars as Falstaff) and Michôd, turns Falstaff...

In this episode, we discuss Richard Eyre's film adaptation of King Lear starring Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, Emily Watson, and Florence Pugh. Director Richard Eyre (The Hollow Crown Henry IV Part 1 & 2, The Children Act) adapted King Lear for the small screen in 2018, airing on the BBC in the UK and Amazon Prime in the US. (It's on iTunes in Canada). Set in the present day, Emma Thompson stars as Goneril, alongside Emily Watson as Regan, Florence Pugh as Cordelia, Andrew Scott as Edgar,...

In this episode, we discuss the 2019 Almeida Theatre's production of Richard II starring Simon Russell Beale, which was broadcast to cinemas worldwide via NTLive. Joe Hill-Gibbons directed this streamlined 1 hour and 40 minutes (no interval) production of Richard II starring Simon Russell Beale. For detailed show notes, visit: https://21stfolio.com/2019/07/22/ep-26-simon-russell-beale-in-richard-ii/ CREDITS Host: Alex Heeney, Editor-in-Chief of Seventh Row (@bwestcineaste) Guests: Mary...

This is the second part of our discussion of the current 2018 Stratford Festival production of Coriolanus directed by Robert Lepage. In this episode, we discuss how the production approaches the relationships between each of the key characters: Volumnia and Coriolanus, Volumnia and Menenius, Menenius and the Tribunes, Menenius and Coriolanus, and Coriolanus and Aufidius. We also delve deeper into how the design choices for the production affect our interpretation of each of the characters...

In this episode, we discuss the Stratford Festival's current modern dress production of Coriolanus directed by Robert Lepage. Québécois director and set designer Robert Lepage makes his Stratford debut this year with a modern dress production of Coriolanus. André Sills stars as Coriolanus and Stratford Grand Dame Lucy Peacock plays Volumnia. Known for mixing film elements (through projections) with theatre, Lepage creates a series of stunning backdrops and sets to make the settings feel...

In this episode, we discuss the NTLive recording of the Bridge Theatre's 2018 production of Julius Caesar. Directed by Nicholas Hytner, the production stars Ben Whishaw as Brutus, David Morrissey as Mark Antony, Michelle Fairley as Caius Cassius, and Adjoa Andoh as Casca. The production was performed in the round, with a constantly shifting stage, and a standing audience in the stalls who also helped served as the Roman mob. We discuss the modern interpretation of the text, its...

In this episode, we finish our discussion of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 2016 production of Hamlet directed by Simon Godwin and starring the 25-year-old Paapa Essiedu. This is part 2/2 of our discussion of the production, and it focuses on Essiedu's superlative performance and the curated information loss from recording the production. 0:00–4:20 What to do about the much-hated Osric/Reynaldo 4:20–7:12 Ophelia's death 7:12–20:32 Paapa Essiedu's dirtbag teenage Hamlet 20:32–35:52 How the...

In this episode, we discuss the Royal Shakespeare Company's first production of HAMLET (2016) to star a black actor, rising star Paapa Essiedu, as the melancholy Dane. 0:00–1:45 Intro 1:45–19:30 The RSC’s first black Hamlet and setting the production in Ghana 19:30–26:00 Costumes and colonialism 26:00–35:30 How depressed is Hamlet in this production? 35:30–52:45 Hamlet The Cool Kid and his messed up relationship with women, Ophelia The Modern Woman, and a very flat Gertrude 52:45– 1:05:46...

This is part two of our discussion of the Almeida Theatre's 2012 production of King Lear starring Jonathan Pryce and directed by Michael Attenborough. The production was recorded over two nights, and is now streaming on Digital Theatre where it is available for rent or to watch as a subscriber. 00:00–7:35 The theatre space 7:35–14:40 Filming the production 14:40–24:23 The set and tone of the production 24:23–30:52 The costumes 30:52–56:23 The production’s target audience & the pros and cons...

The 21st Folio podcast is back from hiatus! We discuss the Almeida Theatre's 2012 production of King Lear starring Jonathan Pryce and directed by Michael Attenborough. 00:00 – 1:28 introduction 1:28 – 21:35 duty and nature in King Lear: the daughters, Kent, and Lear’s role as King. “You’ve made your daughters thy mother”. 21:35 – 28:31 The fool’s disappearance 28:31 – 38:50 Who gets our sympathy and why? 38:50 — Lighting and staging Host: Alex Heeney (@bwestcineaste) Guests: Craig Ruttan...

In this episode, we talk to Argentine director Matias Piñeiro about his latest film, Hermia & Helena, which is more inspired by than loosely based on A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Hermia & Helena is Piñeiro’s English language debut and the fourth film in his Shakespeare cycle, which started with the short Rosalinda in 2011, based on As You Like It. Piñeiro talked eloquently about his experience reading Shakespeare in translation and translating Shakespeare into Spanish himself. He talked about...

In this episode, we continue our discussion from eps. 12–16 on the Laurence Olivier and Ian McKellen Richard III films. We discuss how the two films depict Richard's disability and whether Richard III is a good gateway drug for Shakespeare neophytes. For detailed show notes, visit http://21stfolio.com/2016/07/01/ep-17-richard-iii-film-pt-6-disability Host: Alex Heeney (@bwestcineaste) Guests: Kevin Condardo (@FearStrikesOut) and Mary Angela Rowe (@lapsedvictorian) Sound recordist and editor:...

In this episode, we continue our discussion from episodes 12–15 on the Richard III films starring Laurence Olivier (1955) and Ian McKellen (1995). We discuss breaking the fourth wall, adapting soliloquies for the screen, entrances and exits, what the camera represents, how Richard is The Worst, and how Shrek stole from Olivier's Richard III. For detailed show notes, visit: http://21stfolio.com/2016/06/27/ep-16-richard-iii-adapting-screen Credits ===== Host: Alex Heeney (@bwestcineaste)...

In this episode, we continue our discussion from episode 12–14 on the Laurence Olivier and Ian McKellen Richard III films. We discuss the way the films begin and end, how to catch an audience up on 6 hours of Henry VI in a few minutes, how we meet Richard, and how he meets his end. For detailed show notes, visit: http://21stfolio.com/2016/06/24/ep-15-richard-iii-pt-4/ Host: Alex Heeney (@bwestcineaste) Guests: Kevin Condardo (@FearStrikesOut) and Mary Angela Rowe (@lapsedvictorian) Sound...

In this episode, we continue our discussion from episode 12 and episode 13 of the Laurence Olivier and Ian McKellen Richard III films. We discuss the interpretations of Buckingham and some minor characters. For detailed show notes, visit: http://21stfolio.com/2016/06/20/ep-14-richard-iii-film-pt-3-buckingham Host: Alex Heeney (@bwestcineaste) Guests: Kevin Condardo (@FearStrikesOut) and Mary Angela Rowe (@lapsedvictorian) Sound recordist and editor: Cam White (@JediDusk) Visit our website at...

In this episode, we continue our discussion from ep. 12 of the Laurence Olivier and Ian McKellen Richard III films. We discuss the interpretations of Lady Anne and changes to the text for the film adaptation. We also mention the Mark Rylance and Kevin Spacey Richard III productions. For detailed show notes, visit http://21stfolio.com/2016/06/18/ep-13-richard-iii-lady-anne/ Host: Alex Heeney (@bwestcineaste) Guests: Kevin Condardo (@FearStrikesOut) and Mary Angela Rowe (@lapsedvictorian)...

In this episode, we compare two film versions of Richard III: Laurence Olivier's 1955 film and Richard Loncraine's 1995 film starring Ian McKellen, which was based on the Richard Eyre stage production. This is the first of a several-part discussion on these two films. Here, we discuss our first impressions of the two films and the differences between the two interpretations of Richard and what's driving him. For detailed show notes, visit:...

Picking up on our discussion of Twelfth Night from episodes 8–10, we ask, "What is the shelf life of a Shakespeare production?" Is there such thing as a timeless Shakespeare film? What makes a Shakespeare production a product of its time? Why is it important to document theatre productions? In what context do we view new productions of Shakespeare on stage and film? Will we still be watching these films and production recordings in 100 years? And we tangent on the treatment of music on the...