BBC Shakespeare Unlocked Season

[kelby_lake]

What are your thoughts on it? By the way, Richard II is on BBC 2 tonight at 9pm! :D

[kiki1982]

I watched it.

I liked it, but I'm not sure how good it was.

Haha, no, I don't mean it looked bad, I think it looked very natural in comparison with a lot of other things I have seen, but I had never seen it nor read it, so it's difficult to judge.

Great sets.

I did fall asleep when Richard was giving up his crown (I still heard 'Ay, no no, Ay, etc.') and then I woke up when he was in the prison meditating :blush:.

We are one hour behind... and it asks a lot of your mind (mine at least)

Or was the language updated a bit? I'm not sure. Any thoughts?

[kelby_lake]

I don't think any of the language was updated but they might have cut out some of the more "inaccessible" parts so it comes across as sounding more modern.

I thought the characterisation of Richard was spot on and from what I can remember of reading the play it seems quite faithful.

There was a programme on after it presented by Derek Jacobi which took a closer look at the play and he revealed his Oxfordian beliefs :)

[kiki1982]

Yes, we watched that too. As I was wide awake again by then :).

At least the Oxford beliefs were nuanced by another person. In the end I found that the current Earl of Oxford (?) and Jacobi himself came across as a little weak in comparison with the other guy who said something about it being evident that the plays were written by an actor and especially designed for certain actors in the Chamberlain's Men (friends and colleagues of Shakespeare). To me that was more convincing than the idea that 'he cannot have written it, because his education wasn't the same as de Vere's.'

I found it remarkably easy to understand, so thats why I wondered about it. Unless Shakespeare's writing varies depending on the play/style of play?

I found Much Ado about Nothing in that Kenneth Brannagh version (him as Benedick, in case there are several) much harder as well as his Hamlet and I seem to remember also Henry V (that is 'once more unto the breach, my friends, once more', isn't it?). Maybe Richard II yesterday had bits cut out indeed.

Judging from the clips in the documentary afterwards, this one seemed much better than the one in the 80s (?). Seemed a bit too much like the Prince Regent in Blackadder learning to make speeches ('The roar, Your Highness, the roar.' 'Aaaaaaaaaah... Friends, fellows, countrymen!'). A bit unnatural at certain moments, I thought (altough that must sound very harsh :D).

[kelby_lake]

I agree, the Jacobi Richard II did look very stagy.

The professor did have a stronger argument than Jacobi and the current Oxford. Shakespeare's plays could have been written by someone with a grammar school education.