week 6 Your Production

 The plot of Measure For Measure centres around he arrest of a member of the gentry named Claudio on the command of Lord Angelo. The play begins with The Duke's departure who leaves his trusty second in command Angelo in charge of Vienna. The city of Vienna is steeped with corruption and crime ridden. Unlike the Duke Angelo is very stern and cold, he cracks down on the bubbling corruption by abolishing brothels and goes down hard on any illegal sexual activity. Claudio is arrested for impregnating his soon to be wife, Juliet before the two could be married. Although their intercourse was consensual and by the book sex out of wedlock was highly illegal in that period. Claudio is sentenced to death by Angelo to serve as an example the rest of the citizens of Vienna. Whilst this is all going on we find out the Duke has not left town and remained in Vienna, disguised as a Friar to observe how Angelo rules the city in his stead. Claudio's sister Isabella who is training to be a nun is outraged  by her brother's unfair sentence and goes to beg for Lord Angelo's mercy. Angelo quickly falls in love with Isabella however he does not grant her brother his freedom, instead he proposes the only way she could possibly change his mind and free her brother is to share his bed. She refuses and visits her brother to inform him of Angelo's sick, hypocritical proposition. At first Claudio empathises with her but then starts to beg her to take up Angelo's deal. She is outraged by her brothers pleas and left with a huge decision to make. The Duke still disguised intercepts the perplexed Isabella and hatches a plan to free Claudio and bring the corrupt Angelo to justice.


The themes of the play are very much relevant today. This comedy explores justice, judgement and morality, Lord Angelo is left in charge and trusted to take care of Vienna, however he abuses his power and uses it to meet his sexual desires. Although Angelo is cold and strict in his approach and manages to inflict huge damage on the sex trade in Vienna and crack down on crime operating in the city, he is also hugely hypocritical, actually planning to commit a worse offence than Angelo and using his powerful position to get away with it. Religion is also a key theme in the play Shakespeare explores the concept of sin and how far people in that period could go to maintain their innocence and credibility in the face of God. For example from one perspective although the proposition that Angelo strikes is grotesque and hypocritical, Isabella would rather have her brother die than her virginity be severed and not be able to take up a religious position such as a Nun. All laws in that period covering intercourse had a religious undertone. The Duke is well respected in his position of power however when disguised as the Friar he is also well respected as a man of god which just goes to show in that period the most powerful individuals were those of wealth, law and religion.

Sex is another theme in Measure For Measure, brothels and the sex trade are a key part of the inner workings of Vienna and Angelo works hard to rid the city of it. The play touches on the negative problems these controversial establishments and businesses bring such as sexually transmitted diseases, illegitimate children born out of wedlock commonly referred to as Bastards. The play also explores how figures of power such as Lucio a wealthy gentlemen dabbles in this trade often visiting these brothels which he is exposed for later on in the play. As previously mentioned even the most powerful man in Vienna, Lord Angelo has the desire to break his own law by sleeping with Isabella and fulfil his needs.

The idea of gender is also a prevalent theme in the play. The three main female roles have less than flattering occupations and positions, Isabella is a training nun, Mistress overdone owns a brothel, Mariana is Angelo's previous lover who is used to trick Angelo into marrying her. Shakespeare chooses to have these women in limited roles to display a woman's place in society during that period. Although the main role is a training nun which is a rather dull position she is in fact one of Shakespeare's strongest and most fierce female roles. Against all the odds in favour of women in that period she has the bravery to confront powerful male figures and is not afraid to hide here feelings. She challenges Angelo about his laws and complains unapologetically on the treatment of her brother upon the Duke's arrival in full view of his subjects. Which in that period would require tremendous courage.

Measure For Measure was believed to be written by William Shakespeare in 1603 or 1604 and was published in 1623. It's first performance took place in 1604, the play is technically a comedy but also earned the term a 'problem play'.

A contemporary production of Measure For Measure took place on the 6th of December 2013 and was performed at the Pushkin Theatre in Moscow. It was produced by the company 'Cheek by Jowl' and the Pushkin Theatre in a co production with The Barbican situated in London. Artistic director Declan Donnellan recognised the fact Measure for Measure is a very modern play in relation to its themes and ideas. Who wanted to target the theme of control in the play and how one of the main reasons that people are controlled by various companies and corporations is through shaming them. Obviously i was unable to see this play live but i was able to find the trailer on their website. My first impressions were the lighting and sounds were very harsh, uncomfortably bright in some scenes with darkness creeping in. It reminded me of the lighting in an interrogation room or any other powerful but sinister facility like a laboratory. The costumes were fully contemporary, powerful characters such as Angelo wore suits and other lower members of the law like Elbow and the constables were dressed in smart military attire.

I presume Claudio is the one in the centre, around him seem to be armed military police, heading home the idea that Vienna in this interpretation is a police state.

 Isabella was dressed in a modern nun outfit which was very disturbing to see Angelo cruelly harassing her onstage. Due to the ideology of the nun and the activity Angelo was conducting as well as facial expression.

Musical instrument being played onstage

Music was played onstage with a cello much like what would of occurred during Shakespeare's time. Lighting also allowed characters who were not at the centre of the action to become silhouettes with a Soviet red encapsulating their outline. Dance was took place onstage but in rather juxtaposed bleak settings. A typical ballroom dance to place in the midst of some raunchy sexual intercourse between several parties encased in what looked like glass tanks.  This brought me back to the whole laboratory idea, these I presume sex workers and their clients seemed to operate in claustrophobic glass tanks, dehumanising them. These ensemble members look animalistic in their confined circumstances almost like  animals ready to experimented on. Various disturbing torture practices took place onstage.  A character looked like he was being painfully hosed down, cleansed of his sins going back to that idea of control through shame.This may not be the case but from the trailer i assume the comic elements had either been abolished or replaced with a crueller black comedic style on the punchlines. Instead focusing on the relevant serious themes of the play such as Justice, sex control, law and order and corruption.

Torture practise taking place in the background, displaying the idea of cleansing.

http://www.cheekbyjowl.com/measure_for_measure.php#video (link to the trailer)

To summarise, my character Pompey Bum is Mistress overdone most trusted pimp and one of the fools of the play. He has no regard for Angelo's new law and very much enjoys his line of work. He is painfully funny, perverted and outlandish. Although he is very disrespectful and continues to operate in his trade he is very likeable and has effective but unorthodox people skills. He manages to talk his was out of every risky situation he finds himself in. He tends to try to humour his listener and talk in ream and reams until his persecutor has heard enough and lets him go. He takes pleasure in mocking peoples situation and getting under their skin especially if that characters particular stakes are high. Pompey is finally caught by a dim oafish constable who is constantly on his tail. He is given the choice to aid an executioner to reduce his sentence which he takes gleefully . He uses this opportunity to irritate and laugh at the prisoner in question. He enjoys picking on dim characters and if his sweet talking doesn't go to plan he often uses characters of higher status such as Lucio to bail him out of tight situations. As they visit his brothels.

week 5 Shakespeare Today

On the 3rd of April I ventured down to the National Theatre to see Simon Godwin's interpretation of Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare. This famous comedy tells the tale of two twins aboard a ship which is wrecked on the rocks during a violent storm of the coast of Illyria. Viola is washed ashore, assuming her brother Sebastian has drowned she fakes her identity, taking the name of Cesario and disguises herself as a male for protection. She then ends up being employed by the Duke named Orsino. An cacophony of mischief and confusion swiftly follows leading up to a grand conclusion.

Viola and her maids in contemporary dress

My first impressions of the play was how incredible the staging was. I have seen many productions at the national theatre and the staging is always brilliant due to their enormous budget and Twelfth Night was no exception. The set was circular and rotated around the stage containing different sections depicting different areas such as a street, or a room in the palace. Each section had adaptable floors and walls which changed depending on the setting of that specific scene. During a scene change the stage would set would rotate allowing you to see glimpses of what was occurring in other locations which was a nice touch. This kept the action going at all times from all sides. The main focal point of the stage was a towering platform depicting the bowl of a ship, however when rotated it was a large staircase which was used as a section of the palace. Obviously this is a complete contrast to staging and scenery in the Elizabethan period. During Shakespeare's time sets were very minimalist and bare only including props vital to the play's story line. Its fascinating to see how Shakespeare's writing is still maintained word for word but infused with modern technology.

The character of Feste the court jester was also played by a woman, her costume is contemporary but also rather elaborate

The costumes were very contemporary and rather lavish and fashionable. Keeping in tune with the character's status and social class but with a modern twist. The story arc fitted the plays contemporary setting as the concept of a love triangle is very common in both theatre, film and TV today. Props such as a hot tub and a fountain emerged through trap doors which was a common feature in Elizabethan commercial theatre, where villains and heroes alike could appear from trap doors as a grand entrance. So it was great to see a nod to Elizabethan technology.

Fountain emerged from a trapdoor

Godwin also chose to keep the idea of fencing in the duel between Sir Andrew and Cesario over Olivia's love. I enjoyed the fact the pair conducted an unskillful duel with the use of fencing swords as oppose to a handgun or some other kind of alternative weapon as fencing took place a lot in Shakespeare's plays during the Elizabethan period, a skill the actors had to master themselves. Music was also used in the performance during the party sequences although the tracks were contemporary, the use of music was prevalent in Shakespeare's time actors had to be able to play musical instruments and sing onstage as well as act. The music in this case came from a stereo.

Duel between Sir Andrew and Cesario

In the play the idea was all roles were gender fluid and therefore some females actually played male parts. For example Malvolio a renowned comic role was played by comedic actress Tamsin Greig who i must say gave an excellent performance. The role traditionally is male however the name was changed to Malvolia and the character remained a strict no nonsense steward. In the Elizabethan period these foolish comedic roles would be cherished and reserved for a popular male comic actor. Women were not even allowed to act in plays altogether until 1660, not even the female parts. Therefore the idea of a woman taking a male part and changing it slightly would of coursed tremendous outrage during that period.

Malvolia discovering the letter that was planted by Sir Andrew, Feste and Sir Toby Belch

Shakespeare's work and the stories he tells in them can be interpreted and made relevant to today's audience. I think that changing the gender of Malvolio keeps the production fresh and creates a talking point and a new perspective.

week 4 Theatres,Actors And Acting In Shakespeares Time

An illustration displaying James Burbage's Theatre

Q1: One of the first playhouses in England since the Roman regime was constructed in 1576 by a man named James Burbage, an actor, a theatre impresario and most famous for building the first permanent, dedicated theatre since the roman times. The establishment simply known as 'The Theatre' was built on land belonging to a puritan named Giles Allen. Allen due to his beliefs had no intention of having an art form such as theatre take place on his land however this did not prevent Burbage from constructing his theatre on the site. In 1597 however the lease the pair managed to agree on had finally expired and Allen had no intention of formulating a new one. A clause in the previous lease let the actors who worked in Burbage's company take down the theatre and use the materials in further construction in the near future. The theatre was dismantled in the night by a company of actors and carpenters, the timber and other materials actually went onto to be used in the construction of The Globe Theatre. Located on bankside in Southwark.



Similar to many other Elizabethan amphitheatres which were constructed after, The theatre was described as octagonal or circular structure in terms of shape, which included 8 to 24 sides. There was an open are in the centre which was known simply as the 'pit' or 'yard'. This area was surround by three tiers of seating at different levels with balconies overlooking the back of the stage, with a projected section of the amphitheatre stage roughly halfway into the 'yard'. Theatre goers had to pay various prices depending on the seating levels.



The audience capacity of the average amphitheatre was between the figure of 1500 and 3000. The materials used in the process of construction included timber,flint, nails and the roofing was thatched which made these structures very vulnerable in the event of a fire. Theatre goers who sat in the pit paid one penny which was placed in a box at the entrance upon arrival. The boxes were collected and stored in a room known as a box office. which is how the term box office cemented itself in our society today. There was usually one main entrance to the playhouse and the owner of the establishment was called a 'housekeeper' a term also used today but under different circumstances.

 There was no clear heating system in place amongst playhouses therefore plays were usually put on during the summer months. During the winter period plays took place in indoor playhouses. There were also no toilet facilities in place therefore playgoers had to take care of buisness outside adding to the extreme sewage problem. Playhouses were almost all circular all octogonal in shape just like James Burbage's theatre. As previously mentioned most playhouses had 8 to 24 sides and were up to 100 feet in diameter and the height of the raised stage varied between 3 to 5 feet and usually supported by various pillars. Dimensions of the stage varied, lowest being 20 feet wide and 15 foot deep, the largest being 45 feet to 30 feet. Only rich masked women attended playhouses to maintain their reputation. The median of music was only added in the 1600s. Other effects were used to allow actors to fly and have grand entrances. These being made a reality with the use of rope and rigging. Trap doors were implemented into the floor of the stage to incorporate the effect of smoke into the action. this could be a tremendous risk however due to the fact the floor of the playhouse was made of wood, the structure itself also made from flammable materials.

Although Shakespeare would of been only 12 years old following the construction of 'The Theatre'. Shakespeare and his company 'The Lord Chamberlain's men' were one of several companies to perform there before Burbage and Allen could not agree on a new lease. Aswell as performing at 'The Theatre' Shakespeare's company played at another amphitheatre called 'The Curtain, built in 1577 and of course 'The Globe'. His company also had the chance to perform in front of royalty at Court to queen Elizabeth I aswell as King James I. Shakespeare's company had always planned to establish their own indoor playhouse and the chance finally arose when Burbage's company seized Blackfriars indoor theatre through a lease and were able to perform there during the Christmas period.

Blackfriars indoor theatre 

After the demise and deconstruction of 'The Theatre',The Globe opened up two years later in 1599 and held many of Shakespeare's most well known plays. In 1613 surprise surprise it unfortunately burnt to the ground following a fire breaking out across the thatched roof during Henry VIII. A second Globe was swiftly established a year later.  The reason why Shakespeare was able to hold most of his famous plays was because during construction of the first globe, the cost was spread across a lease with the five partners in TLCM, which Shakespeare was a part of therefore the company was able to afford to build this particular playhouse.

An illustration displaying the demise of the first Globe theatre 

There were two main types of  playhouses in Elizabethan England, one being an outdoor playhouse which would of held productions during the summer months. These were known as amphitheatres and were far more popular as more people from different social classes could afford to watch shows there. The second type being indoor playhouses which put on productions during the winter months. These were usually referred to as 'halls' or 'private playhouses'. The target audience for these establishments were the very rich, the audience capacity was only 500 as oppose to outdoor playhouses which could hold up to anywhere between 1500 and 3000.

Before playhouses theatre took place in Inn-yards. Essentially just yards were people could come and watch some inexpensive theatre, in some cases shows took place indoors. The audience capacity was around about 500.

An Elizabethan inn-yard

Q2: All actors were male, even the female parts which were often played by prepubescent boys. Many boys who played female parts actually received lead poisoning from the white makeup they used and in turn a large proportion of them died.

Information page displaying how horrible lead poisoning is.

In 1629 a visiting french theatre company used women to play the female roles, this was met with severe outrage with the crowd and the actors were pelted with projectiles, hissed and booed offstage. Actors themselves and their profession was not trusted, actors were usually referred to as rogues or vagabonds.

Actors were seen as troublemakers and used to even travel round the country in carts, locating large crowds to watch them perform and maintain a living before the introduction of playhouses. Travelling actors required licenses to travel. Plays were often regulated and prone to censorship especially if they spoke ill of the government. Theatre increased in popularity tremendously in a very short space of time. Many actors invested in shares in their companies and theatres which they performed in and in turn became very wealthy. Although actors in that period unlike today were not paid vast sums of money for their performances and in some cases their shares received cuts.Women were only able to act in playhouses until 1660.

High class Elizabethan actors

Most women parts were played by young boys however the comedic female roles were cherished and in most cases reserved for famous comic actors or popular fools. For example roles like Juliet's fumbling nurse in Romeo and Juliet would be played by a man and often look hideous adding to the thrill. Actors were also required to have a variety of skills such as fencing onstage, gruelling dance sequences and the ability to play an instrument and sing various songs.

Instead of going down the road of historical accuracy, costumes would be visually striking adding more attraction to various shows. Costumes were crucial as they provided another kind of spectacle for the theatre goers. Most costumes were usually second hand passed down from actual nobles.

Staging was very minimal in Elizabethan theatre, most plays had very little scenery, only using props which were vital to the story line of the play. Such as weapons, thrones, tables, beds or a grave. Actors had to rely on their talent, costumes, special effects, grand entrances and of course each other. Although most entrances and exits were in clear view of the audience grand entrances were a key part of Elizabethan shows. Actors, usually those playing the hero could 'descend from the heavens' using rope. Or actors playing the villain or the fool could 'emerge from hell' using a trapdoor.

Midsummer Night's Dream being performed, you can clearly the set is extremely minimal however the costumes are very elaborate and visually striking