These lines, spoken by the King of Navarre in Shakespeare's Love Labor Lost refer to the Tudor version of the Illuminati, a group of influential men who gathered to discuss science, philosophy and religion.  Of course, in an age where the Queen being head of the church was taken very seriously in England, the meetings were suspect and accusations ( Read more... )

I never thought I'd be buying tickets for a West End musical at the TKTS booth in Leicester Square, as those know know me know that to me musicals are like war movies, not my preferred viewing.  I blame John Barrowman for making me start paying attention to musicals.  I then blame Mamma Mia (the movie) for actually proving that a musical can be fun ( Read more... )

Or actually just Oedipus in a new version by Frank McGuinness at the Olivier Theatre of the Royal National The in Southwark, London.  By the time we had finally determined that we were going to London & Stratford late in 2008, this production was sold out.  A bit of good fortune ensured that we discovered that about 9p.m. LA time is when British ( Read more... )

The stage was dominated by a large tree downstage center with vines of colored glass leaves hanging down from the flies.  One by one actors in cream colored Elizabethan garments wandered onto the stage, bringing with them cream brocade cushions to lounge upon, the house lights were still up and there was little indication the play had begun until ( Read more... )

Ivanov was the final play we saw, the evening of 12 November 2008 at the beautifully restored Louis the XVI Wyndham Theatre just outside Leicester Square tube station on Charing Cross Road in the West End.  Ivanov was the first of the Donmar's West End series, with the stated goal of bringing quality productions to wider audiences for a reasonable ( Read more... )

Yes, I know, the header should probably be "To be or not to be," as that is the most famous soliloquy in Shakespeare's Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. That's Shakespeare's Hamlet and a long line of actors from Richard Burbage, to David Garrick to Kenneth Branagh & Ralph Fiennes, my previous favorite Hamlet. But this, this is David Tennant's Hamlet at ( Read more... )