Lindsay Ellis offers a really great framework for this: she did a series like 6-7 years ago about fictional characters, real historical figures, and at least 1 real life event. I imagine Alice has taken inspiration from those for her channel already.
After seeing McKellen’s performance in Richard III I was overjoyed to learn that he’d been cast in the part of Gandalf and my optimism was handsomely repaid.
Really fantastic video, I'll need to check out the Ian Holm version. As for the rest, I absolutely adore the 1930s McKellan interpretation. Yes it's uncomfortable, but it's supposed to be. It seamlessly interweaves Shakespeare's plot with so much to say about the nature and danger of fascism, the cult of personality, and the harm greed and unchecked ambition can do. Not just in the 1930s but also now. I think it's fantastic for all its faults.
Just a note from a 71 year old who remembers Dick Cavett interviewing Anthony Burgess, who’s father played the piano during the era of silent movies for the same reasons movies still use music in the background today. At any rate, there was a funny reason his father was fired. The problem was, when they changed films the musicians had to guess the plot from what they saw on the screen and play some piece that would suit the mood of whatever seemed to be going on. The father saw what looked like a bunch of people having a dinner party and started playing For He’s A Jolly Good Fellow. Unfortunately, the scene was depicting The Last Supper.
I have seen most of these, but Ian McCellan's version has been my favorite since I first saw it. As a student of the 20s and 30s how could I do otherwise? Sir Ian is a genius.
Came here to say the same, I think it has no equal creatively. If you're a fan and haven't seen this, it's my favorite Ian McCellan thing ruclips.net/video/zGbZCgHQ9m8/видео.html
Seeing Ian Holm as Richard III, I'm reminded of those moments in *Fellowship of the Ring* when Bilbo Baggins nearly falls to the temptation of the One Ring.
I only caught a few moments of the animated version of Richard III when it first aired on HBO, but one moment really jumped out at me: Richard, shortly after being crowned, walks down a hall with his long red cloak trailing behind him...like a river of blood. ETA: Well, what do you know...there it is, at 41:02.
Glad you included Ron Cook, who always seemed to me to encapsulate the character as written almost as well as Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes or Bela Lugosi as Dracula. He was certainly instrumental in making four hours watchable- but then neither were the other actors too shabby either. In fact he - and Nichol Williamson in The Scottish Play - are influences in my own particular style of acting.
Thank you Alice for this video. I have tried to look after version of shakespear work. And i do like to have some shows or theater production to see. And as i tried to look up the playes in the Henry VI series i was a bit stuck but lucky you named some great series. And also some great version to see richard III for
I absolutely LOVE this video! More Shakespeare videos would be fantastic! "Richard III" is probably my favorite of the history plays, even though it may not be the most historically accurate depiction of Richard. Shakespeare makes him into a great villain.
Thank you for making these. I’ve enjoyed every one. I wonder if you could do a video on the Nottingham castle for those of us who can’t get there. Something outside the usual analysis.
Performing in Leicester this week and my youtube algorithm threw this entertaining video up. It's a shame there's no real record of Sher's Richard. He was my favourite stage actor but sadly the first time I saw him on stage was about 5 years after his richard. His book Year Of the King though is absolutely riveting if you haven't read it. It's a brilliant analysis of how an actor dives into a role (research etc l
I'm with you. I'm okay with modern-dress or setting-changed Shakespeare...as long as it's for the purpose of illuminating the play in a new way and not just the director saying "look how CLEVER I am!" Sir Ian's Richard III and Baz Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet are definitely the former and not the latter.
Gloster is an alternate spelling of Gloucester; both are or were in use in England and the United States. In fact, a British company named Gloster Aircraft Company was based in Gloucestershire. Similarly, in the United States, you will find Worcester spelled both Worcester and Wooster. Coming from New England, we had both spellings, in common usage, as I believe Worcester is named for the place in England and Wooster was named after a person. Also, love Upstart Crow and would love to see it covered.
About setting Shakespeare in the modern day: I also don’t have an issue with this in theory, and I agree that there should be a reason to do it. It’s cheaper, that’s for sure. I saw The Comedy of Errors at the Globe and the more period-accurate costumes looked expensive af. My college recently did Macbeth, and I thought what they did with the setting was really interesting. It was a minimalist set, with branches suspended above the stage and a few pieces of furniture for indoor scenes. The male characters’ costumes were medieval- and Tudor-inspired, with light armor and chain mail, breeches, that kind of thing (a cheaper version of what you might see at the Globe), but the women really stood out. Lady Macbeth’s dresses seemed largely 1970s/1980s inspired, though not aggressively so. Something tells me the costume dept at my college doesn’t have a lot of Tudor gowns laying around but they made it work. Lady Macduff’s outfit was more 1920s/1930s-style, long and loosely fitted, which set her apart from the other characters, but it kind of makes sense considering she only has 1 scene. They also made her pregnant but that’s not that important. The witches, on the other hand, were full fantasy, and wore dark robes and big mushroom-esque hats. In the scene with the line of kings, it seems like the director kind of had to improvise since they did not have enough actors to have the kings all on stage. So what they did was project pictures of future kings and other leaders on the stage, beginning with Nelson Mandela, with Fleance in the middle in his crown and robe. Other companies have probably done this before but it was the first time I’d ever seen it and I was very impressed. All this (the costumes, set, and the kings scene) gave the play a sort of otherworldly feeling that worked for its more fantasy-horror vibe. All that is to say, you can mix modern and historical elements in Shakespeare and it doesn’t have to be purely one or the other. In fact, especially with Macbeth, mixing time periods can add to the setting and vibes.
I figured that the Woodvilles being American in the 1995 version was a nod to Wallis Simpson, who would have been Queen if Edward VIII had not abdicated. (Though the analogy breaks down when you consider that Edward VIII, who's the closest analogue to the King Edward of this adaptation of the play, was the actual Nazi sympathizer and probably would have done more to move his country towards fascism than anyone who might have deposed him.)
I loved Ian MK's adaptation. "minimalist's nightmare"?, I'd rather you said "The Pavilion is a dream" 😍. Gorgeous settings and a splendid cast of some of my favourite actors. (I wish Alan Rickman was there too. Then I'd have declared it a HP movie. Never mind, Umbridge' s husband was present, at least.) The only thing that bothers me is the battle scene : Richard's ICONIC "My kingdom for a horse" l line doesn't sound good in a jeep. I wish they'd set this in the Victorian era, before tanks and planes, but I guess they'd have stretched the alternate universe idea too much.
No one has ever come close to Olivier when it comes to Richard III. Al Pacino, by watching this, was the worst. I don’t know why he even attempted such a formidable task.
I saw McKellen’s Richard lll on stage; liked it at the time, but I don’t think the production or the interpretation has worn well. McKellen now looks very mannered. DIDN”T see Ian Holm on stage, but I think he is the best Richard lll anyone is ever likely to see, and probably the greatest Shakespearean actor who has ever lived. Olivier’s version now looks camp. Ron Cook was good, Sher was gimmicky.
22:37 HOnestly, none of these versions have folks speaking with Elizabethan accents (of which there were many--some of which sounded rather American, albeit more Southern) so I don't care about accents. At all. 24:27 OF COURSE THAT WAS THE POINT!!!! 26:48 Interestingly, this is not a history play. The title is very clear: The Tragedie of King Richard the Third. This is actually my favorite Shakespeare play, and I adapted it for stage in 2018 here in Los Angeles.
I think a series about ranking fictional characters would be fantastic!
I second your suggestion!
Lindsay Ellis offers a really great framework for this: she did a series like 6-7 years ago about fictional characters, real historical figures, and at least 1 real life event. I imagine Alice has taken inspiration from those for her channel already.
After seeing McKellen’s performance in Richard III I was overjoyed to learn that he’d been cast in the part of Gandalf and my optimism was handsomely repaid.
Really fantastic video, I'll need to check out the Ian Holm version. As for the rest, I absolutely adore the 1930s McKellan interpretation. Yes it's uncomfortable, but it's supposed to be. It seamlessly interweaves Shakespeare's plot with so much to say about the nature and danger of fascism, the cult of personality, and the harm greed and unchecked ambition can do. Not just in the 1930s but also now. I think it's fantastic for all its faults.
Just a note from a 71 year old who remembers Dick Cavett interviewing Anthony Burgess, who’s father played the piano during the era of silent movies for the same reasons movies still use music in the background today. At any rate, there was a funny reason his father was fired.
The problem was, when they changed films the musicians had to guess the plot from what they saw on the screen and play some piece that would suit the mood of whatever seemed to be going on.
The father saw what looked like a bunch of people having a dinner party and started playing For He’s A Jolly Good Fellow.
Unfortunately, the scene was depicting The Last Supper.
OMG!!! Wait - don't Christians *insist* that Jesus was a very good fellow?
What a brilliant story!!! Thanks for sharing.😆
I have seen most of these, but Ian McCellan's version has been my favorite since I first saw it. As a student of the 20s and 30s how could I do otherwise? Sir Ian is a genius.
Came here to say the same, I think it has no equal creatively. If you're a fan and haven't seen this, it's my favorite Ian McCellan thing ruclips.net/video/zGbZCgHQ9m8/видео.html
Seeing Ian Holm as Richard III, I'm reminded of those moments in *Fellowship of the Ring* when Bilbo Baggins nearly falls to the temptation of the One Ring.
Great stuff! I never knew about the Animated Tony Sher voiced R3. Can't wait to see it!
I only caught a few moments of the animated version of Richard III when it first aired on HBO, but one moment really jumped out at me: Richard, shortly after being crowned, walks down a hall with his long red cloak trailing behind him...like a river of blood.
ETA: Well, what do you know...there it is, at 41:02.
Glad you included Ron Cook, who always seemed to me to encapsulate the character as written almost as well as Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes or Bela Lugosi as Dracula. He was certainly instrumental in making four hours watchable- but then neither were the other actors too shabby either. In fact he - and Nichol Williamson in The Scottish Play - are influences in my own particular style of acting.
Thank you Alice for this video.
I have tried to look after version of shakespear work. And i do like to have some shows or theater production to see. And as i tried to look up the playes in the Henry VI series i was a bit stuck but lucky you named some great series. And also some great version to see richard III for
This video was recomended to me 15 hours after relice, i consider it a sign have a new subscriber. This was wonderful.
I absolutely LOVE this video! More Shakespeare videos would be fantastic! "Richard III" is probably my favorite of the history plays, even though it may not be the most historically accurate depiction of Richard. Shakespeare makes him into a great villain.
LOL at the quick inclusion of the pie scene from GOT. If you know, you know!
Thank you for making these. I’ve enjoyed every one. I wonder if you could do a video on the Nottingham castle for those of us who can’t get there. Something outside the usual analysis.
A classic literature series from you?! YES, PLEASE!!!
Performing in Leicester this week and my youtube algorithm threw this entertaining video up. It's a shame there's no real record of Sher's Richard. He was my favourite stage actor but sadly the first time I saw him on stage was about 5 years after his richard. His book Year Of the King though is absolutely riveting if you haven't read it. It's a brilliant analysis of how an actor dives into a role (research etc l
I'm with you. I'm okay with modern-dress or setting-changed Shakespeare...as long as it's for the purpose of illuminating the play in a new way and not just the director saying "look how CLEVER I am!" Sir Ian's Richard III and Baz Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet are definitely the former and not the latter.
I hope you do more of these!
Gloster is an alternate spelling of Gloucester; both are or were in use in England and the United States. In fact, a British company named Gloster Aircraft Company was based in Gloucestershire. Similarly, in the United States, you will find Worcester spelled both Worcester and Wooster. Coming from New England, we had both spellings, in common usage, as I believe Worcester is named for the place in England and Wooster was named after a person.
Also, love Upstart Crow and would love to see it covered.
About setting Shakespeare in the modern day: I also don’t have an issue with this in theory, and I agree that there should be a reason to do it. It’s cheaper, that’s for sure. I saw The Comedy of Errors at the Globe and the more period-accurate costumes looked expensive af.
My college recently did Macbeth, and I thought what they did with the setting was really interesting. It was a minimalist set, with branches suspended above the stage and a few pieces of furniture for indoor scenes. The male characters’ costumes were medieval- and Tudor-inspired, with light armor and chain mail, breeches, that kind of thing (a cheaper version of what you might see at the Globe), but the women really stood out. Lady Macbeth’s dresses seemed largely 1970s/1980s inspired, though not aggressively so. Something tells me the costume dept at my college doesn’t have a lot of Tudor gowns laying around but they made it work. Lady Macduff’s outfit was more 1920s/1930s-style, long and loosely fitted, which set her apart from the other characters, but it kind of makes sense considering she only has 1 scene. They also made her pregnant but that’s not that important. The witches, on the other hand, were full fantasy, and wore dark robes and big mushroom-esque hats.
In the scene with the line of kings, it seems like the director kind of had to improvise since they did not have enough actors to have the kings all on stage. So what they did was project pictures of future kings and other leaders on the stage, beginning with Nelson Mandela, with Fleance in the middle in his crown and robe. Other companies have probably done this before but it was the first time I’d ever seen it and I was very impressed.
All this (the costumes, set, and the kings scene) gave the play a sort of otherworldly feeling that worked for its more fantasy-horror vibe. All that is to say, you can mix modern and historical elements in Shakespeare and it doesn’t have to be purely one or the other. In fact, especially with Macbeth, mixing time periods can add to the setting and vibes.
There is an audio cast recording of "Richard III" with Kenneth Branaugh in the title role. I think it was done by NAXOS audio.
I need the R&J video just so we can confirm what is known; Harold Perrineau is the best Mercutio ever.
Agreed; Queen Mab emerged from popping something not entirely legal but totally made sense in the context
Yay a new vlog‼
I figured that the Woodvilles being American in the 1995 version was a nod to Wallis Simpson, who would have been Queen if Edward VIII had not abdicated. (Though the analogy breaks down when you consider that Edward VIII, who's the closest analogue to the King Edward of this adaptation of the play, was the actual Nazi sympathizer and probably would have done more to move his country towards fascism than anyone who might have deposed him.)
King Magneto was my favorite.
I loved Ian MK's adaptation. "minimalist's nightmare"?, I'd rather you said "The Pavilion is a dream" 😍.
Gorgeous settings and a splendid cast of some of my favourite actors. (I wish Alan Rickman was there too. Then I'd have declared it a HP movie. Never mind, Umbridge' s husband was present, at least.)
The only thing that bothers me is the battle scene : Richard's ICONIC "My kingdom for a horse" l line doesn't sound good in a jeep.
I wish they'd set this in the Victorian era, before tanks and planes, but I guess they'd have stretched the alternate universe idea too much.
Ian Holm was also the sinister android in the original Alien.
What do you think of Aneurin Bernard’s portrayal of Richard 3rd in the white queen?
you'll find out
We need more images and the names of the kitties!
There's an allusion to RIII in the original Rowan Atkinson stage broadcast from the late 1980s.
No one has ever come close to Olivier when it comes to Richard III. Al Pacino, by watching this, was the worst. I don’t know why he even attempted such a formidable task.
USA-Did anyone ever see the RIII set with ‘30’s gangsters?
I saw McKellen’s Richard lll on stage; liked it at the time, but I don’t think the production or the interpretation has worn well. McKellen now looks very mannered. DIDN”T see Ian Holm on stage, but I think he is the best Richard lll anyone is ever likely to see, and probably the greatest Shakespearean actor who has ever lived. Olivier’s version now looks camp. Ron Cook was good, Sher was gimmicky.
What? Henry VII & Edward VI? WHAT?
Please note Andrew Jarvis as Richard III
KITTIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!
22:37 HOnestly, none of these versions have folks speaking with Elizabethan accents (of which there were many--some of which sounded rather American, albeit more Southern) so I don't care about accents. At all.
24:27 OF COURSE THAT WAS THE POINT!!!!
26:48 Interestingly, this is not a history play. The title is very clear: The Tragedie of King Richard the Third.
This is actually my favorite Shakespeare play, and I adapted it for stage in 2018 here in Los Angeles.
Larry Olivier!!! 👑