The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 15.1391  Tuesday, 6 July 2004

From:           Thomas Larque <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date:           Monday, 5 Jul 2004 18:06:29 +0100
Subject: 15.1385 M for M at The Globe
Comment:        Re: SHK 15.1385 M for M at The Globe

 >The Guardian review dated Friday 02.07.04 is damning, Lyn Gardner calls
 >it three hours of being patronised, M for M for kiddies. Really acerbic,
 >thumbs-down stuff for Rylance and Co.

An interesting contrast to the "Guardian" review that Stuart mentions is
Liz Hoggard's "Observer" review for the same newspaper group (the
"Observer" is a Sunday paper; the "Guardian" runs weekdays and Saturdays).

Hoggard sees the Globe production as "very funny", "satisfying[...]",
and celebrates the appearance of a "new star" in the form of Liam
Brennan as Angelo "in a Renaissance parody of stand-up.  We may be
appalled, but we can't help but laugh with him".

She sees the only shortcomings of the play as its lack of the political
depth of the National production, the miscasting of Mark Rylance as the
Duke, and an apparently unsexy "schoolmarmish" Isabella (Sophie
Thompson) that Hoggard cannot imagine anyone having dirty thoughts
about.  Interestingly, Gardner in the "Guardian" saw Rylance and
Thompson (the actors, rather than their characters or performances) as
the only redeeming feature of the production, while Hoggard sees their
performances as the major fault within it.

Anybody wishing to see these reviews for themselves can read them at the
following web addresses:

For the "Guardian" review, see:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/reviews/story/0,11712,1252271,00.html

For the "Observer" review, see:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/reviews/observer/story/0,14467,1253285,00.html

Thomas Larque.

"Shakespeare and His Critics"       "British Shakespeare Association"
http://shakespearean.org.uk           http://britishshakespeare.ws

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