My Shakespeare Festival

The brilliant Sky Arts 2 HD, have just run a full week, celebrating Shakespeare's birthday. I recorded everything, from documentaries, ballet, Opera, I love the ballet and Opera. Then of course the plays. A few of them were recorded live from The Glob theatre in London. King Henry IV Part 1 & 2, Othello, As You Like It and Romeo and Juliet. There was Macbeth from London's Roundhouse and Jonathan Millers Merchant of Venice, with Sir Laurence Olivier. It is going to take me some time to watch them all, it's going to be great catching up. I decided to have my own little Shakespeare Festival, haven't thought of a good name for it yet, like the Sundance Festival, if you have any suggestions, feel free to mention them. The opening ceremony started Monday night, sound's grand. It was me reading The Tempest in bed, after watching half of Henry IV Part 1. Day two was delayed, forgot I had promised to take Mum and Sister out for lunch at the garden center, Mum loves a garden centre. When I got home I watched the rest of Henry IV P1. I've been looking forward to it for ages and I was not disappointed. Armed with my Arden copy of the play, I sort of followed along, not quite reading it at the same time, but knowing who the characters were, as they entered and exeunt the stage. I found myself laughing alone at the antics of Sir John Falstaff, Prince Hal and all their cronies in the Boar's Head Tavern. I could see that, the relationship between these two, would end in sadness for Jack. At the same time, there is great tension between the King and his son. He doesn't approve of his life style. But, The civil war that leads to the battle of Shrewsbury, sees Hal fighting Hotspur and killing him, showing he is a man of courage and fit to be a future King. In Part two, we have the aftermath of the battle, there is still unrest as the rebels have not yet been defeated. The King is ill and dying. Once again It is Falstaff's play, but when the old King dies, Sir John goes to the young Kings coronation and thinks he will be looked after and have a wonderful future. Henry disowns and renounces his old friend. Falstaff is Left a broken man. Pure pathos. This was all filmed at The Globe, it was magic, I have to go, just have to. At the end of each play, all the actors came on the stage and performed a song and dance. Do they always do that? It was hilarious and totally natural. I want to be there one night, to be part of it all. That was part 1 of my Festival, a one man Festival, because no other jooker I know, likes Shakespeare. Part 1, because I have decided to extend it. Two and a half day's is to short a time, I'll give it another two day's, Sunday Monday. This post is part of the Festival. So this is end of part one. George