William Shakespeare: Julius Caesar

[Jack Rabbit]

The Ides of March are Come.

The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare (1599)
Directed by Alan Bridges (BBC/1969)
Frank Finlay as Brutus
Robert Stephens as Antony
Edward Woodward as Cassius
Maurice Denham as Caesar
John Aldertobn as Octavius
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[jalan48]

1. K & R Will bookmark for later.

[dwrjr]

2. Long ago I got to play a bit part in that

I spent a year in an English school. They put Julius Caesar on as the school play that year. After much deliberation and coaching, they allowed me to play the part of Publius, who only has six words, three at a time. They were worried my American accent would ruin the play. Everyone knows that Ancient Romans spoke in a British accent 《sarcasm》!

[Bad Dog]

4. Shakespeare was an English playwright.

His language reflects that. He wasn't Scottish or Welsh, he was English.

It seems a bit strange to focus on an old version of a Shakespeare play when the RSC are doing live performances in Cinemas. I've seen two brilliant productions of Othello, with a black Iago and The Merchant of Venice with an Arab Israeli playing the part of Shylock.

Their next production is of Hamlet. Here's a link.

Hamlet will be broadcast live to UK cinemas and selected countries worldwide on 8 June 2016.

Hamlet has the world at his feet. Young, wealthy and living a hedonistic life studying abroad. Then word reaches him that his father is dead.

Returning home he finds his world is utterly changed, his certainties smashed and his home a foreign land. Struggling to understand his place in a new world order he faces a stark choice. Submit, or rage against the injustice of his new reality.

Simon Godwin (The Two Gentlemen of Verona 2014) directs Paapa Essiedu as Hamlet in Shakespeare's searing tragedy. As relevant today as when it was written, Hamlet confronts each of us with the mirror of our own mortality in an imperfect world

https://www.rsc.org.uk/hamlet/in-cinemas

[Divernan]

10. Recently saw Benedict Cumberbatch's Hamlet production. Fantastic!

(via live performance in Cinema)
Thought you knew “Hamlet”? Think again. Benedict Cumberbatch’s prince might have triggered a media frenzy, but make no mistake, this is director Lyndsey Turner’s production — and it’s a radical reinvention with real political intent, even if it’s too complex to fully cohere. Its star defers to his director’s vision, probably to his own personal detriment: his Hamlet is many things at once, more a collection of characteristics than a credible character, but he finds his purpose as he goes on — as does the production. This is a Hamlet for a world on the edge: a warning from history, and a plea for new ideas from a new generation.

http://variety.com/2015/legit/reviews/hamlet-review-benedict-cumberbatch-1201577724/

[Bad Dog]

11. It's probably a bit tricky where you are.

What with the time difference, but the screened live performances are brilliant, as close as you can get to being in the theatre itself. There's also interviews with the cast and directors during the interval/at the beginning and you're invited to talk to them on Twitter.

Othello was really good, and a black Iago really worked. It took the racism somewhere else, obviously it didn't get rid of it, that's one of the themes of the play, but it gave it a different dimension.

[Divernan]

12. Yes. I see recorded Encore screenings of the National Theatre Live productions.

I really treasure these opportunities. Since I lost most of my retirement savings in 2008, I can no longer fly over for orgies of theatre going in London and Dublin (Abbey/Gate/Peacock) or to Berlin for the opera.

I saw a brilliant, I repeat, brilliant! production of Frankenstein with Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller.

In case anyone is interested, here are 2 upcoming encore presentations in theaters near you!

On March 19th, I have tickets to see Sir Simon Rattle conduct the Berlin Philharmonic in The Beethoven Project.Broadcast one day only in theaters nationwide.

Sir Simon Rattle leads the Berlin Philharmonic presenting Beethoven’s masterful brilliance in two tremendously expressive works: the inspired Symphony No. 4 and the impassioned Symphony No. 7. The journey of the symphonies is paralleled by the journey of the composer’s life not only creating works that are renowned and beloved all over the world, but forming the framework for more than a century of musical expression and experience.

The unique musical program uses the juxtaposition between the more classical, sunny and cheerful Symphony No. 4 and the powerful, almost ecstatic, Symphony No. 7 to create a not-to-be-missed event exploring a musical rollercoaster led by one of today’s most outstanding conductors.

Bringing everything full circle, audiences will be treated to the documentary, "Living with Beethoven," which features interviews from Rattle and members of the Philharmonic as they take an intimate look at Beethoven’s musical masterpieces and their approach to the composer’s genius.

On March 31st,

"Fathom Events, SpectiCast, and Nexo Digital are elated to bring Leonardo Da Vinci: The Genius in Milan to select cinemas nationwide for an exceptional one-night event on Thursday, March 31.

Get an exclusive look into the man behind the masterpieces. This exhibition event is the result of six years of work by leading Da Vinci experts, Pietro Marani and M. Teresa Fiorio, and is divided into 12 sections, the foundation of drawing, the role of nature and science, comparison between the arts, reflection on the ancients, the utopian projects, anatomy and mechanics, the unity of knowledge, images of the divine, myths over the centuries and so on.

Don’t miss your chance to explore the dramatic story of the Master of the Renaissance in cinemas nation-wide.

[Bad Dog]

13. Who played Frankenstein, and who played the creature?

Because I heard they kept swapping roles.

[Divernan]

14. Cumberbatch played the creature the night it was filmed for broadcast.

I'd love to have been able to see him play Frankenstein and Miller the creature. I read that they alternated roles every other performance. 2 such fine actors, challenging themselves, and rising to the challenge.
When Cumberbatch "came to life" as the creature, he started out by moving the last digit of one little finger. Might not have seen that if one was in a real theatre - perhaps off to one side.

I'd pay to hear Cumberbatch read the phone directory! Have you heard him do celebrity impressions? My favorite of those was the one of Alan Rickman, RIP. And I loved his David Tennant as well. Here:

Nice chatting with another culture vulture! I'm off to help run a STEM program for middle school girls.

Cheers.

[Bad Dog]

15. I've enjoyed it too.

Last play I saw in London was A Clockwork Orange with Phil Daniels as Alex. See a lot of regional theatre, all kid's stuff though. That what having children does. Last thing I saw was Roald Dahl's The Witches.

[DesertFlower]

3. i studied 2 years of latin -- we had to read

it in latin. et tu brute?

the only thing latin did for me was make learning spanish easy.

[Divernan]

6. Came in handy for me in my law school studies.

knowing how to properly pronounce in oral arguments: in para materia, sub judice, res ipsa loquitur, sine die, sine qua non, nolo prosequi - as the late great Jimmy Durant used to say, "I gotta millyun of 'em!) Of course, with some of the stupider judges, you couldn't do that because it made them feel insecure and resent you.

I had 2 years of Latin in my Catholic High School, plus about 8 years of singing Latin hymns in the church choir - (I have since transitioned into what I think of as a secular Catholic - hold onto the classic Christian values/ten commandments/beatitudes - avoid the formal church.)

[DesertFlower]

9. i was raised catholic too and the mass was said in latin.

had to go to church every day before school.

[Divernan]

5. Hope today's elections mark a turning point favoring Bernie!

The Ides of March (Latin: Idus Martiae, Late Latin: Idus Martii)[1] is a day on the Roman calendar that corresponds to 15 March. It was marked by several religious observances and became notorious as the date of the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BC. The death of Caesar made the Ides of March a turning point in Roman history, as one of the events that marked the transition from the historical period known as the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire.[2]

Months of the Roman calendar were arranged around three named days - the Kalends, the Nones and the Ides;these were reference points from which the other (unnamed) days were calculated: Kalends (1st day of the month). Nones (the 7th day in March, May, July, and October; the 5th in the other months). Ides (the 15th day in March, May, July, and October; the 13th in the other months).

[Jack Rabbit]

8. We've already transposed fro republic to empire

I'm voting for Bernie to transpose from empire to democracy.

Cry liberty, freedom and enfranchisement,

[Divernan]

7. Re-enacted at Little Caesar's