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Post by marob on Nov 16, 2021 16:38:17 GMT
I don’t know how many recordings there are, but there are 26 of the more recent ones on BritBox. (And also the three from the Donmar cinema screenings.)
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Post by Jan on Nov 16, 2021 16:54:16 GMT
Let's be honest, the loan from the Government probably won't get paid off straight away anyway and what are the Government going to do if they don't pay it in full, foreclose the RSC? The loan was provided with the repayment terms already defined, £1.5m a year starting next year I think. And if they can't pay ACE will put them into special measures just like they did ENO at which point the management and many of the staff will be fired and a new leadership imposed. |
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Post by cirque on Nov 16, 2021 17:57:44 GMT
that may be for best-but,maybe ACE want this direction.
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Post by kathryn on Nov 16, 2021 21:52:04 GMT
It’s worrying if people with big power in the arts are ignoring the validity of non-participants to the point where it’s okay for a large national theatre company to move its focus away from producing high quality work for its audiences. The RSC’s stated mission is “to inspire and captivate audiences and transform lives through amazing experiences of Shakespeare's plays and of great theatre”. That is exactly what they’ve done for me in the past, and why I find it so sad to see them in decline. I always maintain that audiences *are* participants - no audience, no theatre! Otherwise it’s just people shouting into the void. We’ve had this discussion before in other forms, but it does seem like theatre is being viewed more and more by the trendsetters as being for the creatives who make it rather than the audiences who watch it. So it’s mainly important for its ability to provide opportunity and experience to those looking to have a creative career. |
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Post by Jan on Nov 17, 2021 7:20:43 GMT
I always maintain that audiences *are* participants - no audience, no theatre! Otherwise it’s just people shouting into the void. We’ve had this discussion before in other forms, but it does seem like theatre is being viewed more and more by the trendsetters as being for the creatives who make it rather than the audiences who watch it. So it’s mainly important for its ability to provide opportunity and experience to those looking to have a creative career. The RSC have been keen on "participation" in the broader sense since Boyd put in that thrust stage to "involve" the audience more - albeit as it turned out mainly though pathetic attempts at panto-style comedy with people in the front row. It has not really been followed by other art forms - there were no amateur actors in the last James Bond film although it seems we're getting some in Henry VI. Why ? |
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Post by oxfordsimon on Nov 17, 2021 10:27:36 GMT
Look at the financial reporting for the RSC before believing their pleas of poverty. Charity Commission should have the most recent figures online.
They can find the repayments if they look hard enough. And do some work.
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Post by cirque on Nov 30, 2021 12:50:54 GMT
RSC
Royal Shakespeare Community
it is coming.......
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Post by oxfordsimon on Nov 30, 2021 13:00:34 GMT
When thr RSC did their Open Stages projects they were doing really important work linking up with amateur theatremakers offering support, guidance and training.
I had a fantastic year with them as part of that.
But that stopped. It was low cost, high impact stuff.
Using amateur performers as a cheap way of bulking out professional costs is not the way forward. But Erica seems to ge obsessed...
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Post by christya on Nov 30, 2021 17:09:33 GMT
I just wish they'd come back to Newcastle occasionally, with something I want to see. I don't want every last thing on the programme to be an edgy twist on something, or gender-swapped, or whatever their latest trend is. Yes, by all means do those things, if there's an audience for it. But one or two traditional productions each year where I can just see Taming of the Shrew, or Much Ado, or hell at this point I'd even settle for Troilus and Cressida, as an old-style RSC production like I always enjoyed before, and they'd get my money again.
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Post by Jan on Dec 1, 2021 7:25:13 GMT
I just wish they'd come back to Newcastle occasionally, with something I want to see. I don't want every last thing on the programme to be an edgy twist on something, or gender-swapped, or whatever their latest trend is. Yes, by all means do those things, if there's an audience for it. But one or two traditional productions each year where I can just see Taming of the Shrew, or Much Ado, or hell at this point I'd even settle for Troilus and Cressida, as an old-style RSC production like I always enjoyed before, and they'd get my money again. I wish they'd come back to London with some non-traditional edgy plays, or obscure Swan plays, but all we get is the odd bland mainstream popular Shakespeare - from this last cycle I don't think they've transferred a single one of the seldom performed plays (eg. Two Gentlemen, Timon, Troilus, Merchant, Shrew etc.). I fear neither of us are going to get what we want. |
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Post by ceebee on Dec 1, 2021 22:32:17 GMT
Thus, it is becoming irrelevant. To us all. A travesty if ever there was one.
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Post by lynette on Dec 3, 2021 13:46:41 GMT
I just wish they'd come back to Newcastle occasionally, with something I want to see. I don't want every last thing on the programme to be an edgy twist on something, or gender-swapped, or whatever their latest trend is. Yes, by all means do those things, if there's an audience for it. But one or two traditional productions each year where I can just see Taming of the Shrew, or Much Ado, or hell at this point I'd even settle for Troilus and Cressida, as an old-style RSC production like I always enjoyed before, and they'd get my money again. I wish they'd come back to London with some non-traditional edgy plays, or obscure Swan plays, but all we get is the odd bland mainstream popular Shakespeare - from this last cycle I don't think they've transferred a single one of the seldom performed plays (eg. Two Gentlemen, Timon, Troilus, Merchant, Shrew etc.). I fear neither of us are going to get what we want. You’ll have to get on the ole bus, Jan and make it up to the Badlands, oops, Midlands. |
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Post by Jan on Dec 3, 2021 15:01:33 GMT
I wish they'd come back to London with some non-traditional edgy plays, or obscure Swan plays, but all we get is the odd bland mainstream popular Shakespeare - from this last cycle I don't think they've transferred a single one of the seldom performed plays (eg. Two Gentlemen, Timon, Troilus, Merchant, Shrew etc.). I fear neither of us are going to get what we want. You’ll have to get on the ole bus, Jan and make it up to the Badlands, oops, Midlands. Why ? The basis of their ACE grant is that they’re supposed to have a base in London too. |
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Post by mrbarnaby on Dec 3, 2021 21:54:28 GMT
The truth is that the best directors, designers etc do not want to work there anymore. It has none of the appeal it once had and they cannot attract top drawer talent.
They would need a really progressive and exciting new Artistic Director if this is to survive. I hope they know that.
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Post by Jan on Dec 4, 2021 10:06:32 GMT
The truth is that the best directors, designers etc do not want to work there anymore. It has none of the appeal it once had and they cannot attract top drawer talent. I think for the actors that's probably the case - I can imagine a star actor would rather work in Shakespeare at the Almeida rather than at Stratford with no London transfer but I wonder if it is the same for directors ? Most top international directors are freelances and would be unlikely to turn down paid work if it was convenient for them - my suspicion is that the RSC don't even invite them. Do you think they've even approached Robert Icke for example (just to name one of many) ? Having ditched the company structure where they used to have half a dozen top directors on the staff doing a couple of productions each every year they haven't transitioned to the NT structure of bringing in top freelance directors for high-profile one-off productions - they're in some sort of strange no-man's land with only one good director on the staff and none being engaged as freelances. Designers are a different story - designing for that thrust RST stage then potentially having to also adapt it for a proscenium arch stage is a tankless task. |
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Post by alnoor on Jan 27, 2022 7:52:49 GMT
Just seen the cast list for the Henry VI plays
Oh..,,,,.okay
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Post by cavocado on Jan 27, 2022 10:27:17 GMT
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Post by oxfordsimon on Jan 27, 2022 10:43:19 GMT
Looking at the pro casting for H6 and there are some good names and some questionable choices.
Paula D is always good value. I like Richard Cant. Very pleased to see Mark Q in the title role.
Not happy with Mariah G as Margaret. One of the best roles Shakespeare created needs an actor of real presence and authority. Ms Gale has neither of those. She is bland at best.
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Post by cirque on Jan 27, 2022 11:01:15 GMT
RSC have stated that they place major emphasis on training and involving amateurs in the work.This explains the Community insertion on the brand image.I don’t really go with this for a major international company where audiences want the very best,…however going to have to get used to the lower expectations RSC from now on.
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Post by David J on Jan 27, 2022 11:59:02 GMT
Mariah Gale certainly has a lot to live up to Katy Stephens from 16 years ago. God I feel old! I remember Mark Quarterly as Ariel in that cgi Tempest. Yeah, I think he'll be good as Henry VI. Meanwhile over at Much Ado About Nothing...please tell me these are costumes for the marketing and not what their vision of the future is!  |
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Post by Jan on Jan 27, 2022 12:09:36 GMT
Meanwhile over at Much Ado About Nothing...please tell me these are costumes for the marketing and not what their vision of the future is!  They pre-warned us about this - it's this designer: www.simon-hartman.com/It seems the future is a world where we will all be able to pay £375 for a "Wire and cord chest plate". Can't wait. |
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Post by Jan on Jan 27, 2022 12:13:44 GMT
RSC have stated that they place major emphasis on training and involving amateurs in the work.This explains the Community insertion on the brand image.I don’t really go with this for a major international company where audiences want the very best,…however going to have to get used to the lower expectations RSC from now on. OK so my expectations of what they expect me to pay to see their amateur productions will be adjusted downwards accordingly. From their perspective I suppose it's sort of like the school photo thing - they at least guarantee selling a bunch of tickets to the relatives of the amateurs taking part. It's an odd idea though - do ROH have amateur singers in the chorus ? Surprised Equity aren't complaining. |
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Post by oxfordsimon on Jan 27, 2022 12:30:25 GMT
When the RSC did proper community engagement with their two Open Stages project, it really worked. I know, I was part of the second one and the benefits were huge.
The production of Pericles they put together was the right way to work with amateur casts.
The Dream they did with amateur mechanicals was less successful... and that was run by E. Whyman...
The H6 casting is a gimmick and not a good on.
Bring back Open Stages. That works.
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Post by cirque on Jan 27, 2022 12:30:49 GMT
Fully agree with you but I am at a loss now to think RSC will change.Track b@ck Erica s statements and you will see this theme. Theatre used to be a place with a real sense of danger…now it’s fully educational and accredited . Ah for a full on Titus……not here I think…..
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Post by David J on Jan 27, 2022 12:38:30 GMT
Meanwhile over at Much Ado About Nothing...please tell me these are costumes for the marketing and not what their vision of the future is! They pre-warned us about this - it's this designer: www.simon-hartman.com/It seems the future is a world where we will all be able to pay £375 for a "Wire and cord chest plate". Can't wait. I said this before on the Much ado thread. The RSC spent the last few years fundraising a costume workshop, putting time and effort to host exhibitions celebrating the best in costumes you created over the decades. And yet they have no confidence in your own designers to deliver costumes for this futuristic setting. And how much did they pay Simon Hartman to do this? |
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