 |
 |
Ah yes, "liberation" and "oppression". Fine flag words, there. And I'm a book-burner to boot, hey? Make you feel good to think you're rebelling against ... something? Shakespeares long reign over English culture has been assisted by censorship, in my opinion. All those long years in this country when our theatre definitely wasn't free, although it may have been exciting. (Bread and circuses and all that and you're right in that helps if the circus is of quality stuff. ) The Lord Chancellor - an office of the Royal Court let's not forget - and his blue pen, snipping this, stopping that. After S's death, the theatre in this country was closed by Royal diktat. S was the first to be raised from the dust. Why? I think because he was safe; theatre companies could put on S without fear of being closed down; he was the safe option; people were pre-censoring themselves because that's how censorship works. And so it continued until the 60s, when the blue pen was abolished. So, yes, oppression and fear. And of course, this safeness got bound into English culture, where S sits tightly bound to this day, feeding, amongst other things, the myth of continuity, the "river" of invented traditions that keep this sad sack of a country a monarchy, and playing safe culturally speaking. The one thing that did interest me recently about S's works was his humanism. I was watching Clark's civilisation and he makes a forcible point that S is probably the English equivalent of Montaigne. But hey, S's canon is big enough you can probably read anything into it ... I take heart though that the amount of S put on in this country is declining. Certainly no West End Theatre - to take an index - has a showing of an S play. I think as England splits apart, people may triumph s more but I think the planks on which he stood are coming apart. There is an awful lot of new stuff being put on in, exciting, vibrant stuff, and I do take heart in this lest anyone think I'm Mr Killjoy here, stopping their enjoyment. I realise that this isn't a issue that crosses boundaries of nation. But it saddens me greatly, heaves my poor heart so, to see others follow down this route. S almost *invented* patriotism. It's up to you but to take this poisoned chalice to your heart? It saddens me but maybe this gladdens you. Hey ho. Roger On Thu, Oct 23, 2008 at 6:51 AM, Alison Croggon <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Sorry Roger, but it's ignorant bullshit that you can "make the > telephone directory" exciting in theatre. If you're going to have a > text, it has to be dynamic and vital, and no amount of bells or > whistles will cover the lack if it isn't. I've seen enough theatre - > and suffered through enough bad texts - to assert this as absolute > bedrock fact. > > If Shakespeare's work has a stultifying effect on English culture, I'd > suggest it's not his fault, but that of those who make his work that > way. And I don't see why it should be a cause for resentment If others > find excitement where you only see staleness. Certainly I'm not > participating in your oppression by enjoying that work. In fact, you > could turn things around and see a certain liberating possibility in > that language. But I'm not insisting. > > A > > On Thu, Oct 23, 2008 at 4:39 PM, Roger Day <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >> I couldnt give a fuck if you or anyone else thinks shakespeare is >> "exciting" - you can make the telephone directory in theatre >> "exciting". My beef is with the stultifying effect of S on English >> culture. If other poor deluded fools want to put on s, that's up to >> them. >> >> Roger >> >> On Wed, Oct 22, 2008 at 10:27 PM, Alison Croggon <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >>> Heh heh. Coincidentally I saw Romeo and Juliet in Lithuanian last >>> night. Set in a bakery. It was a total pisstake on masculine machismo >>> and male violence and especially on the culture of vendetta. The >>> second half was basically a danse macabre, the first grotesquely >>> funny. Extraordinary theatre. You'll never convince me it's dull! >> >> >> -- >> My Stuff: http://www.badstep.net/ >> "I began to warm and chill >> to objects and their fields" >> Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds >> > > > > -- > Editor, Masthead: http://www.masthead.net.au > Blog: http://theatrenotes.blogspot.com > Home page: http://www.alisoncroggon.com > -- My Stuff: http://www.badstep.net/ "I began to warm and chill to objects and their fields" Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds