Living Shakespeare

Synopsis

Living Shakespeare is a collection of filmed essays commissioned by the British Council as part of the Shakespeare Lives project which celebrates Shakespeare’s influence on culture, language, education and society. South African actor John Kani recounts his experiences playing Othello in 1987, at the height of apartheid. He takes stock on how far the country has come and contemplates the continued relevance of the play in its still divided society. Chinese author Hong Ying looks at Shakespeare’s sonnets as they relate to sexuality and love in China. Banned during the Cultural Revolution, Shakespeare later became a cultural touchstone for Hong Ying and other artists in the 1980s. The sonnets are taking on a new resonance among the gay community of China today. Bollywood actor Kalki Koechlin explores the character of Ophelia and relates her situation to the complex and often confusing role of women in Indian society. Scottish musician Dame Evelyn Glennie talks about her unique way of hearing and interpreting The Tempest. Profoundly deaf, she hears the sounds in the words of the characters, perceiving them with her whole body to explore the "sound colours" in the text
Choreographer Alissar Caracalla tells the story of her company’s famous "Oriental Night" - a production based on A Midsummer Night’s Dream, devised and performed in the Chouf Mountain during the closing months of the Lebanese Civil War.

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Medium

Film; Video

Technical information

Colour / Sound

Notes

Website accessed 12/2016. The films are made in Arabic, Chinese, Hindi and English - and are translated for use across BBC World Service’s multiple language outputs.

Subjects

Drama

Keywords

apartheid; China; dance; deaf persons; hearing-impaired persons; homosexuality; India; Lebanon; Shakespeare, William (1564-1616); sonnets; South Africa; Multiculturalism

Online availability

URI

http://www.shakespearelives.org/explore/literature/living-shakespeare

Credits

Producer

Jonathan Wells

Contributor

Alissar Caracalla; Evelyn Glennie; Hong Ying; John Kani; Kalki Koechlin

Production Company

Name

BBC World Service

Sponsor

Name

British Council

Archive

Name

Learning on Screen Off-Air Recording Back-up Service

Email

services@bufvc.ac.uk

Web

http://bufvc.ac.uk/tvandradio/offair External site opens in new window

Phone

020 7393 1514

Fax

020 7393 1555

Address

For Learning on Screen Members only
77 Wells Street
London
W1T 3QJ