HISTORICAL CONTEXT W5: SHAKESPEARE TODAY

Analyse contemporary Shakespeare productions with reference to live performances you may have seen or clips or footage available online. You should comment on what you notice about them and how they differ from what you know about the original performance conditions of Shakespeare’s work? (Don’t be afraid to point out the obvious).
Consider how these productions are employing all the techniques, technology and resources of modern theatrE


One modern Shakespeare production I have seen was done by Frantic Assembly at the lyrics Hammersmith. This version of Othello was transposed into an early 2000's bar where there was gang violence and racial tension instead of war in the original Shakespeare text. Another difference in this production in comparison to what I know from studying the actual play text is the costumes worn by the company were extremely modern and current such as track suites and trainers being worn on stage instead of the extravagant hand me downs of the gentry that would be worn by the actors in the 16th Century. Another difference is women actually played women, instead of women roles being played by adolescent males or old comedians. Frantic being a physical theatre company put a heavy emphasise on physical sequences and physicality in their performances and in a sense like Shakespearian theatre with its difficult and challenging intense dance sequences , Frantics Othello had extraneous and complex physical sections that were awe evoking. Here is a clip


The clip also exhibits many other differences this piece had from 16th century theatre. The set for example was important in the overall story it became a living moving part if some sections of importance like when Casio gets drunk or Othello begins to spiral into negativity. The walls undulate and open up into a parking lot setting. They really took advantage of all the modern technology they had to their disposal. Also in this performance you couldn't see the entrances and exits of actors so the illusion stayed quite strong.
This was staged at The Lyric Hammersmith which is an indoor theatre again differing from the globe. Though indoor theatres had the use of artificial lights this production used many different lights and gels and other more modern lighting advances to create different moods for the audience to experience.
Another difference was that this performance had no problem competing with the audience on the case of volume, as they were completely silent and barely any were drinking.