Mind the Advent 2020

After a break in 2019, I decided to revive #MindTheAdvent for 2020 – and of course focused on the array of online theatre that proliferated from March onwards… #MindTheAdvent Day 1: I have to begin with the show that started it all… @TSMGOnlineLive's The Two Gentlemen of Verona! Little did we all know how TSMGO would take […]

The Show Must Go Online: Twelfth Night

From Elsinore to Illyria, as this week The Show Must Go Online takes on my favourite Shakespeare play: Twelfth Night! After the tragedy of Hamlet last time, a madcap comedy was definitely in order. Rather neatly, I’ve so far seen 12 different productions of the play; it isn’t just because it’s my favourite, it’s an incredibly popular play […]

#MindTheBard 2020: round-up

And you thought a challenge week sans the theatre wouldn’t happen… It’s not the same, obviously, but I did at least have two live shows and one new to make it feel a bit more like the real thing. If you were keeping an eye on my diary updates and Insta stories you’ll already have […]

#MindTheBard 2020: “What country, friends, is this?” – Twelfth Night preview

Orsino is in love with Olivia, and spends his days sending gifts & messages to her, pining away in his own home. Olivia does not love him, and so refuses him every time – even news that she will remain in mourning for both her father and brother for seven years doesn’t put him off! […]

#MindTheBard 2020: Shakespeare & Somerset

As previous Shakespeare-related challenge weeks have been based almost solely in London, I’ve enjoyed taking the Bard out to Somerset for the majority of this #MindTheBard week. Disappointingly there don’t seem to be any records of Shakespeare’s players visiting the region during his lifetime, however I am one for tenuous connections (hence ‘2 Bard 2 […]

#MindTheBard 2020: Diary

Once again I thought it might be a good idea to keep a diary throughout this week, as it gives an opportunity to keep an eye on what’s been going on during each day – including each #BardFromTheBarn offering, which play has been seen, and maybe even a quote of the day. Make sure you […]

Challenge Week 2020: Mind The Bard

I thought it was a bit mad at the time, but it turns out doing Mind The Musicals 2.0 back in January was the best plan I could’ve had… Just like last year, I’m following up musicals week with another Shakespeare fest (as if you haven’t been getting enough of that recently!), as I go […]

Shakespeare’s Globe: “Parting is such sweet sorrow”

Reading that the Globe may struggle to come back from this current crisis without the help of donations and emergency funding didn’t seem quite real. When they announced their forthcoming summer shows back in January, I must admit that I did wonder whether the rather bland programming had come about because there were some financial […]

Never Mind The Blog… Here’s Shakespeare Day 2020

We can’t be 100% certain, but it is widely accepted that William Shakespeare was born on 23 April 1564 – and died on the same date in 1616. Though the theatres are closed, that doesn’t mean we can’t mark Shakespeare Day in alternative ways… News The RSC has closed the Swan Theatre until the autumn, […]

Globe 2020: “This wooden O”

I really enjoyed the last summer season overall (despite now being almost completely sworn off returning to the groundling life – people are just too rude & inconsiderate for me to countenance it as a viable option), and the 2019/20 winter season has just gone above and beyond so far. The Wars of the Roses […]