British Universities Film & Video Council

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Shakespeare: Measure for Measure

Synopsis
Online audio recording in which director Michael Attenborough talks to Heather Neill about his 2010 modern-dress production of Measure for Measure at the Almeida with Rory Kinnear as Angelo and Anna Maxwell Martin as Isabella. Attenborough talks about why he feels modern dress is right for the production, the set design, the motivations of the main characters including why he made Lucio central to the play. He is indebted to Jonathan Bate for Bate’s insight that in Shakespeare one should ‘throw away either/or and substitute ‘and’. Attenborough believes Measure for Measure is a play that issues warnings about absolutes. He speaks about his interpretation of the ending of the play, and states that he feels Vienna is no better off following the Duke’s return.
Language
English
Country
Great Britain
Medium
Audio; Multimedia
Transmission details
1 Mar 2010
Duration
40 mins

Credits

Contributor
Heather Neill; Michael Attenborough

Additional Details

Production type
Documentary/Educational/News
Historical period
Contemporary
Plays
Measure for Measure
Subjects
Drama
Keywords
Shakespeare, William (1564-1616); Stage directing; Modern dress productions

Notes

Notes
Recordings can be listened to online at the Theatrevoice archive: http://www.theatrevoice.com/the_archive/. A transcript is available on the website.
General
Theatrevoice is a website for audio content about British theatre, and features journalists from across the UK as well as press and practitioners from across the theatre industry. It was set up in 2003 to see if theatre could be talked about in a new way: allowing critics to be more expansive than the usual space constraints of the print media allowed. In 2008, V&A Theatre Collections and Rose Bruford College, London agreed to support the site in partnership. (http://www.theatrevoice.com/about_us/, accessed 7/2010)
History
Recorded at the Almeida Theatre, London.
The play premiered at the Almeida on 12 February 2010.

Online Availability

Online URL
www.theatrevoice.com

Production Company

Name

Theatrevoice

Email
info@theatrevoice.com
Web
http://www.theatrevoice.com External site opens in new window
Notes
Theatrevoice is the leading online site for audio content about British theatre.

Record Stats

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