Tomorrow is the last Shakespeare Saturday on this blog. I’ll do a post on the collaborative and lost plays sometime in January, and yes, it will be on a Saturday. I’m not sure how I will actually continue this process, but I will. I’ll probably start by reading all the supporting literature that has been … More Housekeeping notice
My career of loving music goes very roughly like this: My father was a professional musician, and so it would have been quite natural that my parents would take me to see Verdi’s Aida when I was 5. It was in Savonlinna, and I remember standing on my seat to see better (the other punters … More In praise of… Sir Thomas Allen
This past Sunday I went to Salisbury Cathedral for their famous Advent service. This is the Church of England at its ceremonial grandest, a procession of clergy and choirs, with the staffs and crosses, even the embroidery on the gonfalons* sparkling in the candlelit darkness, designed for maximum impact. As the clock struck, the lights … More It was a very cultured week
On Friday evening, the Cabinet Office released the list of the Queen’s Birthday Honours, and we fans of Penelope Wilton finally had something to celebrate – she had been made a Dame, at long last. It was an honour well deserved, and much overdue. Wilton is one of those actresses who never seem to attract … More In praise of… Penelope Wilton
Warning: this post is heavy on poetry and purple prose. On the Bank Holiday Monday couple of friends and I set off to visit the Sissinghurst Castle in Kent. It was a cold, rather dreary day, the sky hanging low, and no amount of wishing and hoping on out part would make the clouds part. … More England’s song
Shakespeare for absolute beginners 