To be or not to be?
By Flo Levy
That is the question. Actually, the real question is: what will you be doing in London to mark the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare?
Bankside was once the home, workplace and playground of William Shakespeare. At this time, it was a rowdy and lawless pleasure-quarter with a notorious reputation for prostitution, bear baiting, gambling and theatre. Back in the sixteenth century the authorities preferred to keep playing companies outside of the city walls. It was believed that theatre promoted ideas that went against the church and King; ruling monarchs are slaughtered in many of Shakespeare’s plays and are occasionally made to appear ridiculous. The crowds attracted by plays took workmen away from their jobs and encouraged thieves. Bankside was home to many Elizabethan playhouses including The Rose, The Globe, The Hope and The Swan.
To mark Shakespeare’s legacy in Bankside, and showcase its murky past, a series of events will be held from 22 April.
Free events include:
The Complete Walk hosted by Shakespeare’s Globe will invite visitors on a journey along the bank of the Thames to experience an extraordinary celebration of Shakespeare’s 37 plays. 37 screens along a 2.5 mile route through Bankside and beyond will show a series of specially-made short films. Some of the world’s finest actors including Simon Russell Beale, Peter Capaldi, Dominic West, Hayley Atwell and Zawe Ashton will perform scenes from Shakespeare’s plays, shot in the places hovering in his imagination. Visitors can expect to see “The Merchant of Venice’s” Shylock within the Venetian Jewish ghetto, and “Hamlet” at Kronborg castle in Elsinore.
Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre
Experience Shakespeare’s Bankside on a walking tour with playwright and performer John Constable. John will take visitors on a journey to view Bankside through the eyes of Shakespeare, and help to reveal the human face of the bard. You will visit the sites of famous playhouses – set among bear-pits and brothels, stopping at the place where he (allegedly) attacked a man, the site of his brother’s burial and where he and his fellow actors lived, worked and partied. Walks start at Shakespeare’s Globe and finish at The George Inn and it lasts 1.5 hours.
The walks take place on Wednesday 27 April at 7pm-8.30pm and Sunday 8 May at 2pm-3.30pm. You can reserve your spot at visitbankside.com.
For those looking to fully indulge in the sound of Shakespearean Bankside, Southwark Cathedral is hosting lute songs and performances. Find Me a Publisher, starting at 2pm tells the story of Heminge and Condell and the journey of the First Folio towards publication. Southwark Cathedral itself has strong ties with Shakespeare. The choir at the Cathedral prospered during Shakespeare’s day when Southwark was the entertainment centre of London. Of the list of actors named in the folio edition of Shakespeare’s plays in 1623, thirteen are also to be found in the parish records of this time. It is not unreasonable to suppose that the Church’s singing boys would have been recruited as child actors and singers in Shakespeare’s plays, performing at the Globe. It holds the tombstone of William’s brother Edmond Shakespeare, who was an actor in the company, as well as a Shakespeare monument and stained glass window depicting characters from some of his plays inside the Cathedral.
Southwark Cathedral
On Saturday from 10am – 5pm, visitors are able to explore the fascinating history of The Rose Playhouse. This was Bankside’s first Tudor theatre and the site where Shakespeare’s Henry VI part I and Titus Andronicus were first performed. It was re-discovered in 1989 during the construction of a new office block. At present two thirds of the original foundations have been excavated and protected for future generations to experience. The Rose Theatre Trust is now engaged in raising funds to excavate the remaining third and to make the site a permanent display as an educational and historical resource for the public to learn from and enjoy.
The Rose Playhouse
You can find the full list of events from 22 April onwards at visitbankside.com.
