For the first time, after nine sell-out seasons, The Lamb Players are set to bring their unique interpretation of a Shakespeare classic to Hastings, as they present As You Like It from Fairlight Hall. HOT’s Jordan Dixon writes.
Actors Mary Chater and Julian Curry have given up Italy to make their home in St Leonards. Shakespeare enthusiasts, they both number Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre productions of his plays among the many credits in their respective CVs. They gave readings from his plays as part of Harmony One’s recent A Winter’s Tale concert and are in the throes of launching a new initiative, Shakespeare in Italy (see below). Here Mary Chater writes of the transition from life in Italy to St Leonards.
First Heard presents Toby Belch is Unwell, a darkly comic monologue from John Knowles featuring Sidney Kean and lots of alcohol, as John explains.
In 1978, when Chris Sanderson and her husband Don decided to leave a settled life in Hastings to teach in newly independent Papua New Guinea, they could hardly have guessed that, as Chris puts it, “the forthcoming adventure would change me forever.” How that happened she describes in a fascinating detail in Another ‘Growing up in New Guinea,’ as Nick Terdre recounts.
Your Bard, a Stables production exploring the debate about who actually wrote the plays assigned to William Shakespeare. Professor Nother is giving a talk about authorship in the function room at The Shakespeare Pub, based on his belief that the man from Stratford didn’t write all those plays. Zelly Restorick reports.
This weekend sees the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death celebrated by two performances of Verdi’s Macbeth at the White Rock Theatre by Opera South East on Friday and Saturday. A treat is in store, says the company’s Greg Solomon.
Last year, we decided not to perform our usual outdoor theatre show in St Leonard’s Gardens, writes HOT’s John Knowles and it paid off, returning this year, renewed and invigorated with many of the original cast (in new roles) and new blood. We are proud to say that the show was a triumph. With sell out performances, amazing reviews and a wealth of positive comments, A Midsummer Night’s Dream proved to be our most successful show to date.
Every year for the last five years, the Mercatoria Company re-form to transform St Leonards Gardens into a leafy theatre and bring Shakespeare back to life. HOT’s journalists, Cathy Simpson (well-versed in Shakespeare) and Erica Smith (a rather reluctant first-timer) joined the promenade around the park.
