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I booked all my shows at Shakespeare's Globe for this summer long before casting was announced, with the intention of spreading my trips out across the season. So although I've been excited since hearing Arthur Darvill will be playing Mephistopheles, I'm not actually going to see Doctor Faustus until near the end of its run when Andy gets back from ( Read more... )

There's a few months to go yet before Shakespeare's Globe launches its new season, but the last time they mailed out some info they included a flyer for a production of Edward II round the corner, at the archaeological site of the original Rose theatre - the same place where Christopher Marlowe's play was first performed. As the three regular ( Read more... )

The National's new production of Marlowe's first play has had some wildly varied reviews. The negative ones have accused it of being deathly slow, and to be fair the word "dynamic" is unlikely to ever be applied to James MacDonald's production. The relatively simple staging is quite engrossing in other ways though, not least through some clear and ( Read more... )

This production of Marlowe's Edward II came about as a result of director Michael Oakley winning the JMK award for new directors (a prestigious prize previously won by Thea Sharrock, who denizens of these parts will know went on to direct Equus.) On this evidence he richly deserved it. King Edward II was deposed by a group of rebels unhappy about ( Read more... )