Last week I went to the theatre with my best friend
Both literature lovers and ex theatre studies students
We were so very excited to be seeing
The Royal Shakespeare Company‘s production of
At The Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury
Photo By Helen Maybanks
A dark comedy
Written over 400 years ago
Measure For Measure remains astonishingly resonant today
When a young novice nun is compromised by a corrupt official
Who offers to save her brother from execution in return for sex
She has no idea where to turn for help
When she threatens to expose him
He tells her that no one would believe her
The story was incredibly well told by the actors
The stage was kept simple
Set with mirrors and changed with the use of lights and projections
The mirrored glass meant that you could see the actors
From every angle throughout the performance
The mirrors added another dimension to the whole production
No character could ever escape themselves
It made the tension in key scenes all the more palpable
I found that throughout the play
I kept forgetting to breathe
And at points was fiercely clenching my teeth
The acting was incredibly passionate and compelling
I loved the performances of and connection between
Angelo and Isabella
Some of their scenes were incredibly uncomfortable to watch
As he tried to convince her to have sex with him to save her brother’s life
Isabella’s emotions were raw in her monologues
And you could not help but be captivated by her
Photo By Helen Maybanks
Measure For Measure requires a full cast of strong actors
As the play weaves and links the stories of many characters
Every performer was strong in this production
Pompey and Lucio were incredibly funny
Making the audience laugh out loud many times
Photo By Helen Maybanks
The Duke (often in disguise as a Friar) was brilliant
He had a great connection with the audience
That built as the tale unfolded
Measure For Measure is known as one of Shakespeare’s problem plays
It explores abuse of power
Corruption
Mercy and forgiveness
This is a play as relevant today
As when it was written
This is not an easy watch
It is definitely an uneasy watch
But I am so glad that I saw it
And I urge you if you can
To try and see a Royal Shakespeare Company production if you can
And if you are in Kent
Catch them at The Marlowe Theatre this week
The Taming of the Shrew is running until Saturday
And there are still tickets available to buy
Is the ultimate battle of the sexes turned on its head
In a fresh portrayal of gender politics
In a reimagined 1590, England is a matriarchy
Baptista Minola is seeking to sell off her son Katherine to the highest bidder
Cue an explosive battle of the sexes in this electrically charged love story.
Justin Audibert turns Shakespeare’s fierce, energetic comedy of gender and materialism
On its head to offer a fresh perspective on its portrayal of hierarchy and power
If you do visit The Marlowe this week
Look out for performances from Rough Cut Collective
A group of local spoken word artists
Who will be entertaining audiences on the foyer pop-up stage during the interval
They were brilliant when we saw them last week!
There will also be performances from local schools
What an amazing opportunity!
The festival feel The Marlowe Theatre have created for their visit by The RSC
Has been wonderful and so inspiring for young theatre goers
And the young at heart
I have been lucky enough to see Shakespeare productions
In some wonderful venues including Regents Park and The Globe
But seeing The Royal Shakespeare Company here in Kent
At our local theatre
Felt very special indeed
Come back soon RSC!
We were gifted tickets in return for an honest review