this has been by far the most enjoyable night at a theater in quite a while – the words of the bard combined with rufus wainwright’s music and robert wilson’s perfect ability to create a mood on stage through lightning, directing and choosing perfect actors for perfect parts – two and a half hours slipped by and i never noticed, i was enraptured by the music, the dancing, the acting and the undying words of shakespeare – there can be no better way to celebrate 400 years sonnets than that
shadows, large, small, loud, bright, silent, just a whisper, then loud and overwhelming – saucy fool, majestic queen, a dark lady, a light youth, a great poet, a nasty rival, a little (or not so much so) love-good – a whirlwind of emotions created through references to different music through the ages – so suddenly you feel directly plunged into brecht’s threepenny opera, the world of french chansons, baroque finery, swoony-cheesy love ballads or pop-art musicals – every lover of good music and shakespeare will be as ardently in love with it as me – i would watch it again and again and again until i have no more tears left to shed, no more laughs left to laugh and all my energy is spent – a gripping experience for all senses – a feast for body, mind and soul
and in the end this is all that can be said (or sung)
not only one, but two quite important birthdays today – in my world at least
the internet is forty today – without the internet, no wordpress, without wordpress, no teacaro-blog, without teacaro-blog the world would be a sadder place – definitely for me
asterix is fifty today – without asterix, many a lonely teenage hour would have been disastrously boring and sad – according to three different quizzes in three different communities, i would either be miraculix, asterix or idefix – i’ll agree to the last
Du bist klein, süß und meistens auch sehr lustig. Aber wenn du jemanden siehst den du nicht magst, wirst du zum Berserker oder einer Wilden Kampfmaschine.
so, here’s to asterix and the internet – a very happy birthday and many more fantastic years
read this, of you’re either too lazy to read the whole book (which i do not recommend because it’s really a very nice book indeed) or if you are a fan of the book and like a good laugh
which book? – oh, the book, of course – the one and only perfect love story of all times – jane austen’s “pride and prejudice”
here’s another book gone movie for which i cannot wait to come to screen – never let me go – i used to be able to read whole nights through, when i was younger – nowadays sleep usually gets in the way due to exhaustion from the days, but this novel kept me awake till the early hours, i had it through in one big rush and i loved every minute of it – it’s idyllic charm and it’s underlying mystery forming a perfect mixture – i never wanted to let go and willed the story to go on and on and on – and now, just like one of my other all time favourites (ian mcewan’s atonement) it’ll be turned into a movie, starring keira knightly – i am excited because i know that’ll be a good one – somehow she’s started to become britain’s number one novel-to-screen-enchantress – starting with jane austen classics and moving on to all my favourite reads – i call that something and i could almost be jealous (after all, she also got to work with johnny!)
some loves never die – they just grow weaker and are pushed aside by new loves - but then something triggers the mind and it all comes back – harry, harry, harry, that’s all i can think of – or as shakespeare put it: cry “god for harry! england and saint george!” – bless the british, my literary heroes – shakespeare and j.k. got it damn right – harry, harry, harry
so, as you can guess quite rightly, i went to see the new harry potter tonight – two and a half hours of me being glued to the screen and not wanting it to stop, even though i knew the sad, sad ending it would take – after film five i wasn”t expecting much – that one not being my favourite, mainly because i also like that book least of them all – but this was no disappointment, only way too short and of course some of my favourite parts of the book were cut out, but some others, i’d been dying to see, were all there – hermione and the canaries – lovely – ron and the love potion – to die for – anyways, all the teenie-love-drama – a little bit american high school movie, but so very british and so very j.k. – you gotta love it
but there’s not only the mushy bits, there’s action and we’re back on some good quidditch scenes – there’s also scary parts and even if you know, what’s going to happen, you get freaked out at times – goosebumps, whole body goosebumps!
the magic bits are still as fascinating as ever – even harry still shows signs of amazement at all the things you can do with your wand, or should i put it differently – all the things dumbledore can do with his wand – one of my favourite scenes, when dumbledore puts right the demolished livingroom, slughorn’s been camping out in (by the way – a delightful plushy armchair with shoes said prof. s was just momen’s before) – anayways, harry watches in amazement and he wears chucks, he’s my hero!
alan rickman, as cool and delicious as always and i simply loved the tiny bits of foreshadowing – if you know the books and know that he’s really the good guy (i hat to boast, but i’ve really known all along!), you’ll recognize the signs
harry, ron, hermione – daniel, rubert, emma – what can i say, they’ve grown up – it’s so amazing, how they’ve grown along with their characters and as always i feel like i want to board the hogwarts express and be there right alongside them – i think i’m a luna – god, i love her, she’s one of the greatest characters of the whole series and comes so well alive
regrets, i’ve had a few – but then too few to mention – just one, though – i missed neville – where was neville? – hardly in any scenes at all – not good – maybe in the take-outs – have to see the take-outs
so, that’s all for now – i am still over-whelmed and will be half-living in the magic world for the next couple of days – but big plans ahead – come next autumn and the first big stormy nights, it’s me and harry and loads of food in my apartment for three days and seven books
David has signed up to reprise his role of Hamlet for BBC Two.
He will be joined by key cast members from the RSC production, including Patrick Stewart as Claudius.
BBC Two controller Janice Hadlow said the 180-minute screen production of Hamlet was “a wonderful opportunity to bring one of the great stage successes of last year to a wider audience”.
Tickets for the stage performances, which opened in Stratford-Upon-Avon and later moved to London, sold out in hours.
After his debut appearance, the Guardian called Tennant the “best Hamlet in years”.
In February his return to the stage as Hamlet was named the event of the year in the Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers’ Choice Awards.
The full press release from the RSC can be seen below:
The Royal Shakespeare Company’s award-winning production of Hamlet, directed by RSC Chief Associate Director Gregory Doran, and with David Tennant in the title role, will premiere on BBC Two later this year.
Produced by Illuminations, the screen version of Shakespeare’s great tragedy will retain the quality and tone of the critically acclaimed stage production but filming will take place on location. All key original members of the cast, including Patrick Stewart as Claudius, are confirmed to star in this special 180 minute production, alongside the same creative team.
RSC Artistic Director Michael Boyd said; “We are very pleased that this RSC production will be seen by so many people when broadcast. As the show was sold out for its entire run, this is a really great opportunity for our work to be seen by so many who could not come to the theatre and see it on stage.”
Filming begins in June for broadcast later this year on BBC Two. Broadcasts in the US and Japan will follow in 2010. Illuminations previously worked with Doran and the RSC on the filmed version of Macbeth with Antony Sher and Harriet Walter. Chris Seager will be in post as Director of Photography; Robert Jones, who designed the stage production, will also design the film and, as on stage, the music is composed by Paul Englishby, the movement director is Mike Ashcroft and the fight director is Terry King.
John Wyver is the producer for Illuminations and Bethan Jones is Executive Producer for BBC Wales. The project was commissioned by Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning and George Entwistle, Controller, BBC Knowledge Commissioning.
The director Gregory Doran said “Contrary to press reports at the time, the RSC always had plans to make a recording of this production but had the inevitable long journey in getting the cast together again and securing funding for this project. The Hamlet cast and the RSC are all really delighted that we now have the chance to share this show with audiences around the world, and I would like to thank all those involved in making this plan a reality at last”
Janice Hadlow, Controller BBC Two said “It’s a wonderful opportunity to bring one of the great stage successes of last year to a wider audience.”
To support the new film of Hamlet, a rich online BBC site is being created in collaboration with the RSC. It will feature behind-the-scenes stills and footage; specially shot interviews with the actors talking about their characters and how they’ve approached the play; further interviews, with the director and other key backstage personnel; and a comprehensive range of links through to the full depth of BBC Learning’s content on Shakespeare and RSC Education’s content on Shakespeare in performance.
George Entwistle, Controller, BBC Knowledge Commissioning said “We hope we can use our experience in building compelling online sites to encourage a large TV audience to pursue their interest in Hamlet and Shakespeare as far as possible, off the back of a superb TV version of the play.”
first impressions – dandelions sneezed onto the fields like showers of yellowness – sighted from the plane, while landing in london-stansted – london underground: where’s “mind the gap”, no “mind the gap” – miss you “mind the gap” – also, no vampire-boy (sorry, steffi) – then, picture the scene – paddington station: bathroom and me paying 30 pence to go through the barrier but sadly only succeeding in pushing my bag through and then having to climb underneath it myself, looking suspiciously as if i had not paid at all
train to bath: lovely english countryside, very romantic and picturesque, but is it really or is it just because i am in the “romantic south” and expect it to be? – fields divided by hedgerows, boats on canals, small idyllic train stations and bridges
bath itself is beautiful – morning had broken all foggy and gray – just one hour later, sun is bright and pretty, bells are ringing in honour of st. george and bath is awake and alive, looking every bit like one stepped back in time to the 18th century – i managed the whole touristy load and still felt perfectly cool – it’s really as if i was in jane austen’s time, going to the pump room to take the waters, chatting at the assembly rooms, walking on the gravel walk – touristy, but just what you ought to do in bath – and i did see many handsome men – one slightly looked like vampire-boy from the distance – i was not able to get a good shot, so i brought something else
a party i attended was quite entertaining – had a discussion of literary themes with some very nice boys – might have been flirting, while quizzing them – but took my leave as soon as their talk turned to economy, politics and disease – men, what frightful creatures they are – never but spending just a moment in fruitful conversation with us poor women, before returning to their ceaseless worrying about the world’s turning to their desires
moving on to stratford-upon-avon – thou should’st be amused – thy eternal verses are used in ev’ry shop and ev’ry tavern throughout this town – quoted by actors, vicars, children, teachers thy words shall live for evermore and thus give life to thee! – shakespeare, if indeed he really was shakespeare, would be dearly amused by the cult that’s made of him in stratford – you can see the place where he wooed his wife (more like got her pregnant and then disappeared off to london to pursue the stage – not quite so romantic, but still …), visit his grave in holy trinity, the only place that’s truly shakesperean here, as he’s really there (dead and all) and see where he was born (or not!) – and it seems like people are inspired by this environment to spout out their own frightful verses and pretend literary greatness – indeed, i also felt the place’s magic in the very marrow of my bones, but indeed, i am amused, like shakespeare would have been – but then shakespeare was never really shakespeare, was he? – i am entranced by the whole mystery that surrounds him and he is still and will be for evermore my hero
best of all – the life, love & legacy exhibition at shakespeare’s birthplace with short films about him and with the very best scenes of one of my all-time favourite dr who episode
manchester – horrible, smelly, dirty, loud city and a hostel room full of disgusting, smelly, moaning, grunting, snoring men – the only good thing about the rain is my new pussy cat umbrella, which i proudly walked around the dirty, smelly, wet city – good shopping, though and i spent some happy pounds on useless and usefull nonsense – unfortunately, no manchester united fanstore to be found and no man united fan memorabilia to be seen anywhere – running up and down streets and round and round in circles in shopping centres did not help – no ronnie badge, key chain or anything whatsoever – like he doesn’t exist
liverpool, on the other hand is rather pretty and boasts two liverpool fc fanshops right in the middle of the city – me likey a lot and me buyey some nice presents – overall a good day there, but still no comparison to lovely south england and the romantic, historic haunts of bath and stratford
on to stratford this afternoon and goodbye to internet for a while – but imagine me in this quaint little hotel for the next nights and happy to be where dear old will spent his latter days
the shakespeare sonnets are mine at last – i might be a hopeless romantic, but i’m a romantic with style – spending a friday night at home, with shakespeare sonnets and hot chocolate – what more can a girl want? – the velvety voice of david tennant makes up for all the stupdity of real life men and príncipes
the first wish is the one dearest in my heart and it grieves me painfully, that i have yet a whole long month to wait, till i can hold it in my hands
Shakespeare’s Sonnets, one of the most remarkable collections of poetry, was first published in 1609, 400 years ago, by Mr Thomas Thorpe. Naxos AudioBooks marks the occasion with a selection of 80 of the finest, read by leading actors. The selection includes famous ones such as ‘Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day’ as well as lesser well-known sonnets though of equally fine stature.
usually i am not a fan of audiobooks, but shakespeare’s sonnets, read by david tennant? – ahh, need i add more? – here’s a link to a sample – it makes me ache for more, so much more – from shakespeare and david with love
and do apologize for my late quietness in respect to blogging news – the reason being that there simply are no news to speak of – i spend my days curled up in bed, reading and popping m&m’s into my mouth at frequent intervals – i find it hard to tear myself away from my nigh on 1000-page book (and there’s not just one, it’s one of six and the seventh to be out this year) – all around me i see my apartment fall into pieces of dust, which settles on shelves and books and dirties the dirty dishes even more so – food has become unimportant, as long as the pages last
Food really is of no importance, when one has so many other things one one’s mind. I find it highly difficult to focus on having to eat, when there is so much more I could do. Of course, I love to eat and I am dying for a good meal. But it is just like anything else, only one thing at a time. Usually I eat because I have to. In the very desirable event that I find something I really want to eat I savour the moment. A piece of my grandmothers Philadelphia cake, frozen peppermint chocolate, a big tub of ice-cream, pineapple and banana chocolate-fondue on the sweet side; my mom’s pizza pockets with home-made tomato sauce, turkey dinner with cranberries, a chicken burrito, a cheeseburger after a two-year long abstinence.
i feel the urge to read on, even though i know, i have so much else to do – around me my apartment groans as it comes to terms with it’s dirtiness and finally the phone rang and brought me to my senses – i started up and doubled over with shock – the dishevelled state of my apartment closely resembles a robber’s cave – dirty, filthy and even a little smelly, due to the large pile of discarded and unwashed clothes and dirty dishes in the sink – seriously, a book can take you away from your own into another world and it is utter shock, when you return to find the damage left behind – i should do something about it and since there is no butler or serving maid available at present, i ought to do so myself – this is a solemn vow – i swear, i will clean up and start on my work before i reach for the book again – shall my fingers be burned by the pages should i do otherwise
Filming begins in June for broadcast later this year on BBC Two. Broadcasts in the US and Japan will follow in 2010. Illuminations previously worked with Doran and the RSC on the filmed version of Macbeth with Antony Sher and Harriet Walter. Chris Seager will be in post as Director of Photography; Robert Jones, who designed the stage production, will also design the film and, as on stage, the music is composed by Paul Englishby, the movement director is Mike Ashcroft and the fight director is Terry King. 
