Shakespeare fever hits Singapore this year
PUBLISHED May 8th, 2013 03:26 am | UPDATED January 21st, 2016 07:15 am
2013 looks like it’s going to be a bumper year for productions of Shakespeare plays in Singapore.
Things have got off to a cracking start with SRT’s production of Othello as part of its Shakespeare in the Park series at Fort Canning. If you have not booked your tickets, rush out and do so TODAY as they are selling fast and the show must end on 19th May.  Following hot off its heels has been Nothing Like Lear, a devised performance based on Shakespeare’s King Lear, with a short run ending on the 9th May. Read on and we’ll share with you what else is in store later on this year, but in the meantime, a few words on Shakespeare.
Shakespeare, an English poet and playwright, is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England’s national poet and the “Bard of Avon”. His surviving works, including some collaborations, consist of about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.
Shakespeare did not have an extensive education; it’s unbelievable but true! He attended Stratford grammar school, a school that specifically served prominent citizens. It is not known how long Shakespeare attended, but it is assumed that this is the only formal education he received.
The Bard would have celebrated his birthday last month on 23rd April and knowing that his plays are now performed in places like Singapore (which did not exist when he was alive) would have been a great birthday present!
So what else can you look forward this year?
1 to 13 October – The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) by the Reduced Shakespeare Company
All 37 Plays in 97 Minutes! Now revised for 2013 with the same recycled jokes – just put in a different order. An irreverent, fast-paced romp through the Bard’s plays, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) was London’s longest-running comedy having clocked a very palpable nine years in London’s West End at the Criterion Theatre! Join these madcap men in tights as they weave their wicked way through all of Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories and Tragedies in one wild ride that will leave you breathless and helpless with laughter.
For ticketing information, please visit www.sistic.com.sg
2 to 13 October 2013: The Taming of the Shrew by Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre (London)
Performed initially at the Globe Theatre in London and then on tour on an intimate Elizabethan-style stage with an all-female cast, a troupe of travelling players breathe new life into Shakespeare’s most outrageous comedy. Starring one of theatre’s great screwball double-acts, a couple hell-bent on confusing and outwitting each other right up to its controversial conclusion. Do not miss this unique opportunity to see one of the most famous theatre companies in the world perform in the beautiful outdoor setting of Fort Gate at Fort Canning Park – Shakespeare’s Globe in Singapore for the first ever time.
For ticketing information, please visit www.sistic.com.sg
Keep an eye out on City Nomads for more information on these productions closer to the time!
