Shakespeare and the modern novel
Shakespeare must have read anything and everything that came his way, not just the sources for his plays, which are well known, not just the classical authors who, if Ben … Continue reading
Aimez-vous Tremblay?
Among the many things monolingual Britain is unable to appreciate is the work of one of Canada’s best playwrights. Unlike the Canadian writers whose work we do know, Michel Tremblay … Continue reading
The Crucible
The importance of rhythm in a play is sometimes overlooked. The passage of time is part of the experience of watching a play. Time on stage and real time pass … Continue reading
Hindle Wakes
Hindle Wakes is a play by Stanley Houghton, not about the awakening of someone called Hindle, but about a dirty weekend in Llandudno. Every northern town at the time when … Continue reading
The Hairy Ape
Of all the plays I have never seen, The Hairy Ape is the one I remember best. I doubt if I ever will see it now and anyway some plays … Continue reading
Better sung
Oscar Wilde’s one act play, Salomé, is better known as an opera by Richard Strauss. The same is true of Pelléas et Mélisande, the play by Maurice Maeterlinck that became … Continue reading
Honest Iago
In the very first scene of Shakespeare’s Othello, Iago tells us (he is speaking to Roderigo, but what he says is for our benefit) what kind of man he is. … Continue reading
Reading Shakespeare
With limited opportunities to see Shakespeare outside London and Stratford, the only alternative is to read him. Mind you, it was worse for Anne and the kids. They hardly ever … Continue reading
Neil Rathmell - writer 