Quote #038

"O Rosalind! these trees shall be my books,
And in their barks my thoughts I'll character,
That every eye which in this forest looks
Shall see thy virtue witness'd every where."

Orlando - 'As You Like It', Act III Scene 2

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"Who's Ken Branagh?"

Blackadder meets Shakespeare in this clip from 'Blackadder Goes Back and Forth'



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Never say never...

Hi there!

Yes I know I said I'd moved on to 'Blogging Pastures New' but the Bard just won't lie down and nor should he!

Actually it took the start of the fabulous new drama series 'The White Queen' from the BBC (or the Brilliant Bard Channel) to put me back on Billy-Boy's trail. Two episodes into this adaption of the historic novels by Philippa Gregory and I'm already reaching once more for my copies of Henry VI and Richard III. I know! The Histories!!



So I'm back, Billy-Boy's back and the Blog's back! Be ready for more reviews, clips and other Shakespearean shenanigans!

And remember - "Thou art divine!"

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Moving on...

It's been a fun challenge but time to move on to pastures new. The picture below is a clue to my 2013 challenge which can be found here!

Quote #037

"Better a witty fool than a foolish wit"

Feste - 'Twelfth Night', Act I, scene 5

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37 - Twelfth Night

I left the best until last, partly to see if any other of Shakespeare’s works could top it but for me it still reigns supreme.

This is probably the play by Billy-Boy that I have seen the most over the years. I can remember clearly my first run in with it when, aged eight and as part of my drama club’s showcase evening, I saw four older kids perform the duel scene between Viola and Sir Andrew and loved it. At the time I had no idea what it was from and it was only when I studied the text later in secondary school that I made the connection. 

For the play as a whole I can think off-hand of at least five different stage productions I’ve seen including one by the RSC with Antony Sher as Malvolio, a version directed by Peter Hall and one at Regents Park's 'Open Air Theatre' whose only star I can remember just now was Ruth Madoc! There have also been numerous screen versions including both the BBC’s and, my particular favourite, Kenneth Branagh’s ‘Renaissance Theatre’ production (I remember taping that one and then practically watching it weekly.)

My biggest draw to the play is Feste - my favourite character in all of Shakespeare. Although he has no soliloquy to speak of it was a mash-up of his original chastisement of Olivia that finally won me a place a drama school, so I have a lot to thank him for. And almost everything he says could count as my favourite line from the Bard, although I do also crumble every time I hear Sir Andrew say “I was ador'd once too”.

And Finally – Thank you to everyone who has taken time to read these mad ramblings. If has been a fun challenge and very rewarding. I may not have completed it within one year but at least I finished before Twelfth Night (see what I did there?) All that’s left is to miss-quote from my favourite clown and say – 

"But that’s all one, my blog is done,

And I’ll strive to please you another day…"

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The Almost Rans

With the end in sight here as some of the splinter features for this blog which never took off - 

• The Behead Count - I'm afraid I lost count somewhere in the late Henrys and never caught up again 

• Dice Dearly - Died a death

• Shakey Camera Work - Reviews of Shakespeare related movies

• Eightscore Eight Hours - Trying to see how often I heard the Bard mentioned within one week 

• Good Day, Bard Day - A weekly round-up of all brushes I'd had in the last seven days with the Bard (so an extension of Eightscore Eight Hours)

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