|
Latest
News - October, 2006
The York Shakespeare Project's next production will
be King John.
One of England's most unpopular sovereigns, King
John will be getting a makeover this Autumn, when the York Shakespeare
Project present it at Friargate Theatre from 5th to 9th December.
John, most remembered for the Magna Carta, or as a baddie in the
tales of Robin Hood, will be seen in this play battling with a
disputed crown, an overbearing mother, lots of arguing siblings
-which just goes to show that even Kings have bad days!
Indeed, in Shakespeare's play, John is surrounded by critics,
most of all his mother, Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, who in her
youth was one of the most beautiful and clever women in Europe.
She is played by Jenny Carr, who teaches Drama at Cannon Lee School
in York. Jenny says of Eleanor, "The trouble is, is that,
as a woman, she is incredibly clever and intelligent, in a time
where women had no say in day to day life. In fact, she's surrounded
by men, and she knows she could do a better job of ruling England
than any of them. Richard had been the apple of her eye, and she
thinks that John is too weak for the crown. There's certainly
no love lost between them both."
The director Jeremy Muldowney has set it in medieval times, when
living was literally a matter of life and death, and this is illustrated
in the play. Says Jeremy, "˜It did not matter where
you were on the ladder of power, whether a serf or a king, life
would be very uncertain. In those days, news was not spread as
quickly as it is today via the internet, most people would not
have realised who their king was, or what he looked like, least
of all whether he was agreeing with the pope or not. As for the
relationship with his mother, I agree that Eleanor didn't think
very much of her younger son, but it would have been a hard act
for John to follow in Richard's footsteps. And Eleanor certainly
wasn't going to stop reminding John of this."
Tickets are available from Friargate Theatre Box Office on 01904
655317, or in person at the theatre and/on performance nights
at the door.
Prices: £4.00 for Tuesday night, £7.00 adults and
£5.00 concessions on Wed - Saturday performances. There
will be a matinee and signed show on Saturday matinee at 2pm.
All evening shows start at 7.30pm.
For more details see website www.yorkshakespeare.org.uk
YSP
Index
|
