Covering Shakespeare!

As a fan of the Bard, I'm very excited to read about the Hogarth Shakespeare programme, launching in 2016  to mark the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death.  

Similarly to the Canongate Myth series, contemporary authors will be commissioned to create 'cover versions' of many of William Shakespeare's most beloved plays. To reinvent the plays as prose, as it were. 

The idea is that these retellings will appeal to modern and emerging readers (and presumably encourage them to then try out the glorious originals).

Illustration based on a 1623 engraving by Martin Droeshout. (Paul Gonzales / Los Angeles Times)

No stranger to cover versions, Jeanette Winterson (BAFTA aware winner and OBE) has already been approached and decided to re-imagine 'The Winter's Tale'. She has already participated in the Canongate myth series (Weight) and last year released The Daylight Gate - retelling the case of the 17th Century Pendle Witches - in the new Hammer Horror fiction series - so I'm feeling pretty confident that she'll be well versed in respecting the original, while confidently putting her own spin on it!

As Winterson notes:

All of us have talismanic texts that we have carried around and that carry us around. I have worked with The Winter's Tale in many disguises for many years. This is a brilliant opportunity to work with it in its own right.
And I love cover versions.

A second award winning author has also been appraoched and Anne Tyler (Pulitzer prize-winner) will be revamping The Taming of the Shrew. 'I don't know which I'm looking forward to more: delving into the mysteries of shrewish Kate or finding out what all the other writers do with their Shakespeare characters'.

Now, I don't think that there is a need to change Shakespeare to make his works accessible. I think that once you learn how to read them, the plays are fantastic and relevant. A person need look no further than Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet or the recent Joss Whedon version of Much Ado About Nothing to prove that even in an up to date setting, the language of the plays is sublime. 

However, where updates and changes have occurred, I usually quite enjoy - Ten things I hate about you and the rapping English teacher jumps to mind or indeed Ian McKellen's rapped sonnet or the ambitious 15 minute Shakespeare plays, the gender swapping Tempest with Helen Mirren as Prospero, Hamlet in Klingon (yes, really) - I consider myself pretty open minded!

So, really, I guess the purpose of this post was just to say - Yippee!!!

 

Much Ado About Whedon - when fandoms collide...

Joss Whedon has made a film.

A film based on a play.

The cast is positively teeming with former collaborators from Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Doctor Horrible and Dollhouse.

We know very little else.
However, if the name is anything to go by; the play might just be Much Ado About Nothing by a little known and under appreciate playwright - William Shakespeare.

For anyone who thinks that Shakespeare's plays are a bit dry - this is the one that will convert you!
The language is flowing (and primarily prose); the plot is engaging; the quick witted, fast talking Beatrice and Benedick are a delight and their 'merry war' is both hilariously expressed and highly relevant today!

I hugely enjoyed the 1993 version starring Emma Thompson, Kenneth Branagh, Michael Keaton, Kate Beckingsale, Robert Sean Leonard (Wilson from House!) Keanu Reeves and Denzel Washington (as brothers...no really!). If you haven't seen it - do - it's luscious. 

However, I have to admit to being EVEN MORE EXCITED about this! It's WHEDON PEOPLE!!

Ahem.*


I'm additionally delighted as I've been half thinking that I need to refresh my Shakespeare and now I have the perfect excuse! Guess what's just appeared on my reading list!!!


Much Ado About Nothing - Project Gutenberg
Much Ado About Nothing - Kindle (also on PG as free!)
Much Ado About Nothing - iBooks


*For those who aren't aware; I'm a huge fan of Joss Whedon. Hence the fangirl squeeeeee