The first RSC productions in the World Shakespeare Festival are three plays cast from one acting company, looking at migration, exile, and the discovery of brave new worlds. Actors Nick Day and Ankur Bahl share their experiences in rehearsal for The Tempest, Twelfth Night and The Comedy of Errors.
Nick has beached on the shores of the RSC for the fifth time. Having drifted about in a variety of theatre, TV and film roles over 40 years the winds and tides have given him good passage into our waters a little more often lately. He loves it here and has absolutely no desire to be taken off this magic isle.
After spending his youth on the international jump rope circuit, Ankur arrived in Britain six years ago as a postgraduate studying migration and diaspora. Shipwrecked in London, he began performing in theatre pieces about the people he was studying.
April 24, 2012
David Fielder (Nations at War company) had a few of us to dinner on Sunday night. Rack of lamb, perfectly pink. We all agreed how lucky we were to have the excellent Barry the Butcher within close shopping distance. It seems everybody gets almost as much pleasure from their cheer as from their chops.
by Nick Day
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April 12, 2012
I've marvelled before, in these blogs, at how Shakespeare's rich writing does so much of the work for us in conveying subtle shades of character and meaning in our telling of his stories.
by Nick Day
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April 11, 2012
Company Manager Michael Dembovicz announced that the understudy runs of all three plays will be paid public performances.
by Ankur Bahl
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April 10, 2012
Exit Sir Toby, with knife, downstage left having just ripped one of his hippy bracelets off on the corner of the banquette.
by Nick Day
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April 5, 2012
Tempest had its first preview last Friday. I get the feeling we dished up something more than a bit on the bland side. Certainly the note that we 'Europeans' had from David was that we were slow and dull! There was a real need to put a bit of zip and zest into the thing.
by Nick Day
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April 5, 2012
This week we went back to Twelfth Night. We haven't done a run of the play in three weeks. Luckily, the time away from the play didn't feel like a hindrance; it allowed the play to simmer in our minds, and for the ideas to mature.
by Ankur Bahl
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March 29, 2012
So now we're deep into the Tempest tech. The stage is somewhat challenging, with several holes through which the unwary or unfamiliar might fall.
by Nick Day
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March 27, 2012
Great news today: Greg Doran is to be the new Artistic Director of the RSC. His appointment was dramatically ratified by rapturous applause when it was announced at a company meeting this morning.
by Nick Day
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March 21, 2012
Well, Comedy is up and running. It was a tough tech – for the techies and our stage management especially – because it's a highly technical show.
by Nick Day
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March 20, 2012
We have just experienced a rarity in any rehearsal period: a week off.
by Ankur Bahl
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