ACCESS MATTERS Welcome to the September 2015 – January 2016 season and the latest edition of Access Matters.
In the Royal Shakespeare Theatre This Autumn in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre we continue our journey through Shakespeare’s History Plays with Henry V. It has been fascinating to look at Richard II, Henry IV Parts I & II individually as stand-alone plays, and now we will approach Henry V in its own right, but perhaps with a deeper understanding of Prince Hal’s journey so far; from the slums of Eastcheap to the climactic battle at Agincourt. Following Henry V we will revive Wendy & Peter Pan as our Winter family production. It was such a success two years ago, we are delighted to give more people the chance to see it. Ella Hickson and Jonathan Munby were also keen to revisit the production and it is great to welcome them back into the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.
In the Swan Theatre In the Swan Theatre we continue to present work by living writers, Shakespeare’s contemporaries or other classic plays. Opposite Henry V, Marina Carr’s version of Euripides’ Hecuba tells the story of the fall of Troy. Together the two plays provide very different perspectives on war, essentially from a male and female point of view.
Photo by Kwame Lestrade
For the recent Roaring Girls season, we looked back at Shakespeare’s contemporaries and the way they created such extraordinary parts for women. Part of the legacy of the season is our new play, Queen Anne by Helen Edmundson. It tells the little known story of the relationship between Queen Anne and Sarah Churchill, the Duchess of Marlborough, against a backdrop of power politics and manipulation.
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We wanted to partner this new play with a play from Anne’s lifetime; and I’m delighted we are presenting Congreve’s wonderful Restoration comedy Love for Love. The Swan Theatre really lends itself to the witty, teasing intimacy of plays of that period. I look forward to welcoming you to the theatre soon. Gregory Doran Artistic Director
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