Review: Measure for Measure, Donmar Warehouse

While others strive for power, one Duke appears to be giving it away. Relinquishing his judicial power and assigning it to his deputy, he dons a monk's habit and steps back, to see what will unfold in his absence...

What does unfold is a staging of Measure for Measure quite unlike any that has been envisaged before. Though it is performed far less frequently than some of Shakespeare's other plays, Measure showcases an array of human vices which have become ever more important to address. Abuse of power, blackmail and hypocrisy, gender inequality and sexual violation - one instance of many in which a 16th century playwright appears to be speaking directly to us in the 21st century.

Review: Apollo Theatre, Everybody's Talking About Jamie

Out of the darkness and over the wall, Jamie's stepping out into the spotlight - in a glamorous pair of glossy red high heels...

Jamie New steps into the spotlight at an exciting time for theatre - a time which sees an inspiring array of representation, from race to sexuality to gender. At the live screening of Everybody's Talking About Jamie, my expectations of this award-winning production were met, and surpassed. Seeing it live at the Apollo Theatre on London's West End had me falling for it all over again. This is a joyous production filled to the brim with humour, emotion, and strong moral messages. Here's my thoughts.

Review: The Merry Wives of Windsor, RSC

There's a knock at the door. A letter has arrived for a certain 'Mr Shakespeare', and it's from the Queen of England...

It feels like a long time since the Royal Shakespeare Company have performed a Shakespearean comedy, and so the current production of The Merry Wives of Windsor was a much needed breather from the darkness of Scottish moors and the tombs of ill-fated lovers. As with their recent productions of Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet, the play, its set and costumes, were modernised to add a 21st century relevance, but here, the worlds of Elizabethan bawdiness and Essex gaudiness came together in a fantastically farcical blend. Here's my thoughts. 

Review: National Theatre, Translations

In the midst of a clash between languages, Sarah has yet to conquer the power of speech...

Fascinated with traditional languages and cultures, I was drawn to see Brian Friel's Translations at the National Theatre. The play begins in a 'hedge-school' in County Donegal, where tutor Manus is encouraging Sarah, a mute, to pronounce her own name. This is a poignant starting place for a play which sees the native Irish tongue being displaced by English, an operation which threats the language and identity of its central characters. Yet despite this, Sarah is not the focus of the play, and is swiftly pushed to the peripheries as a detachment of English soldiers barge onto the scene. From the very beginning, things begin to slip away, an erosion which continues until the final scene. Here's my thoughts. 

Bella is here!

I'm really thrilled to announce that my debut poetry pamphlet, Bella, was published by Offa's Press a week or so ago (August 2018). The collection is a poetic sequence which explores the Worcestershire murder mystery 'Who put Bella in the Wych Elm?' You can buy a copy for just £5.95 here!

A few lovely words from poets I greatly admire:

'Every now and then a collection comes along which revitalises my belief in poetic form, [a work] with a consistent vision and force. Nellie Cole’s Bella is all of this and more. [With] a mature and compassionate sensibility and an enviable gift for language, Bella announces the arrival of a major new talent.'
Luke Kennard

‘Nellie Cole’s pamphlet Bella explores the story through historical record and imaginative speculation. I was thrilled to read this debut; it is formally adventurous and her precise language is richly detailed [...]. This is work which shows maturity and care.'
Angela France

Review: New Alexandra Theatre, Birdsong

As the chaplain delivers his final sermon, men of all ranks and stations take their positions: line-abreast; to ladders, to death...

I first saw the stage adaptation of Sebastian Faulks' novel Birdsong in 2013. Five years ago: before I had studied much about the First World War, or war literature; before the 100 years centenary had begun, with all its acts of remembrance. Seeing Birdsong again in 2018 offered not only a chance to see how the production had evolved, but how my perception of it had altered with all that I had learned and experienced over the past years - these poignant years of memorial. Here's my thoughts.

Shakespeare Sunday: The Merchant of Venice

Welcome to 'Shakespeare Sunday', where I take an extract from one of the plays and write my thoughts.

'All that glitters is not gold' - The Merchant of Venice, Act 2 Scene 7
External versus Internal: Tolkien & Shakespeare

Review: RSC, Romeo and Juliet

A chorus of voices clamour to be heard, their cries becoming 140-character-length statements, loaded with meaning but exclaimed nevertheless...

There was much anticipation for the RSC's 2018 production of Romeo and Juliet, which promised a fresh, modern retelling by a youthful cast. Yet with the Globe's abstract 2017 production still fresh in people's minds, and with the RSC's recent Macbeth pushing modernisation to inaccessible levels, audiences could have been apprehensive about how the production would be handled. But under Erica Whyman's experienced direction and Tom Piper's acclaimed design, the production excelled. Here's my thoughts. 

Shakespeare Sunday: As You Like It & Richard II

Welcome to 'Shakespeare Sunday', where I take an extract from the plays and write my thoughts.

'This our life' As You Like It, Act 2 Scene 1
Deposition: Gift or Curse?

Pen to Paper

A poetry course providing inspiration, writing activities, tips and tricks to get you putting pen to paper! 

Another non-regular post from me, but I just wanted to share the story and success of my recent poetry writing course, 'Pen to Paper'!

'Pen to Paper' was originally commissioned by the Anchor Gallery in Birmingham, as a part of their Spring 2018 season of poetry events. Held in the gallery space, a small but hard-working group met for three 2-hour sessions across March, April and May. Each session included two mini-activities, a main poetry activity, and a guest activity run by a special guest poet. One-to-one sessions with myself and the guest poet were offered at the end, where discussions ranged from editorial advice, to guidance on performing and publishing work.

      

Comment: The Stage, Protecting Shakespeare

The first in a new (non-regular) feature! This was spurred by an article in The Stage by associate editor Lyn Gardner, which I found tremendously valuable and would like to share. My thoughts below.

Lyn Gardner: Chekhov and Shakespeare do not need ‘protecting’

Review: RSC, The Duchess of Malfi

Once, twice, she stumbles - letting the rope in her hands go slack, a pitiful whimper to escape her lips. Yet, mustering her strength, she keeps going, dragging the heavy carcass onto the stage...

Recently, I've seen some really enlightening productions of Renaissance drama, where the story and characters have been transposed to a modern setting. Such modernisation can be a risk, but it is also essential to keep the intrigue and influence of theatre alive. The work of Shakespeare and his contemporaries is often as powerful, problematic and provocative to a modern audience as it was at the time it was written, but sometimes with traditional costumes and sets, the themes lessen or lose their impact. In stylising John Webster's The Duchess of Malfi in a 21st century world, the Royal Shakespeare Company reminds audiences of theatre's ability to impact and unsettle. Here's my thoughts.

Review: National Theatre, Macbeth

In a bleak, post-apocalyptic landscape, the king's militia brutally decapitate an enemy fighter, hanging his head in a plastic bag upon a pylon... 

As with the RSC's recent production of Macbeth, the reviews for the National Theatre's rendition of the Scottish Play were less than praising. Criticised for misjudging the play's themes and glorifying its violence in a 'Mad Max'-style setting, the production has been cited as one in a long line of flops from the National Theatre under artistic director Rufus Norris. Yet, as with the RSC production, I sat down for the live screening with an open mind - and was pleasantly surprised. Here's my thoughts.

Shakespeare Sunday: Twelfth Night & King Lear

Welcome to 'Shakespeare Sunday', where I take an extract from one of the plays and write my thoughts.

'Hey, ho, the wind and the rain' Twelfth Night Act 5, Scene 1, and King Lear Act 3, Scene 2

Shakespeare's Songs: Fools and Fortune 

Working The Blanks: First Poem In Progress

2018 is well underway, as is the research and writing I am doing as poet-in-residence at the Pen Museum.

The research I carried out during the first few months of my residency has provided me with a rich bank of ideas, which I am now delving into as I begin to craft the poems. The areas I want to explore are broad, ranging from the factory and its products, to the museum and its visitors; I want to reflect both intangible things, such as experiences and memories, and real objects, like the pen nibs themselves. I want to tell as much of the Museum's story as possible, by engaging with everything from the people and the period, to the place and, of course, the pens.

Review: RSC, Macbeth

The old king sleeps. At the foot of his bed, three childish spectres keep their watch...

I was apprehensive to see the RSC's 2018 production of Shakespeare's Macbeth. The reviews were rather poor, with comments circulating that the production was unclear, disjointed, and inaccessible. However, being a strong supporter of the RSC and an open-minded theatre-goer, I entered the auditorium with the same level of interest and excitement as for any other production. Here's my thoughts.

My Poetry Journey

I'm very excited that my first poetry manuscript will be published by Offa's Press later in 2018!

My debut pamphlet will explore the murder mystery, 'Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm', a true story from my local area. With the working title 'Bella', this poetic sequence follows the mystery from the murder itself, to the discovery of the body, through to the police investigations which followed. It plots its way through local topography, history, and folkloric connections, examining but never quite uncovering the hidden truths of the case.

I'll be documenting my journey to publication on this blog. Please see the page 'Bella, Offa's Press' for all updates. My first entry is below!

First Editorial Meeting 

Thursday 5 April, 2018

Meeting with Emma was invaluable. It's been a little while since I wrote the poems in my manuscript, and I've become complacent - not thinking twice about the titles, order, or how the sequence reads to those unfamiliar with the story. 

To bring this manuscript down to pamphlet length, some of the poems needed to go. Those that remained needed to be reordered, and their titles changed to better signpost the story being told; Emma's insight and advice during this process was much needed. 

It was difficult to cut some of the poems, and alter some of the titles, but it feels good to have a thorough 'spring clean' and work the manuscript into its best possible shape. 

Review: Royal Exchange, Frankenstein

The decks creak and the hull moans. With his ship stranded in the ice, Captain Walton begins a letter to his sister... 

Though I do love the Bard, it is refreshing to sometimes see a non-Shakespearean production. While I was familiar with the concept of Frankenstein, I knew little about the story itself, so to see it brought to life (or should I say, 'reanimated'?) on the stage, filled me with an intriguing mix of excitement and unease. Here's my thoughts. 

Review: Bridge Theatre, Julius Caesar

In the streets of Rome, a mob gathers: drinking beer, waving flags, and jumping to the beat of 'Eye of the Tiger'...

The newly-opened Bridge Theatre has done it again - with its versatile auditorium and vibrant, trendy style, the theatre's second ever production met with fantastic reviews. Willing to take bold new risks, its production of Julius Caesar transformed this sometimes-tedious historical narrative into a wild, howling thing, brimming with restlessness, anxiety and pain. Here's my thoughts. 

'Like him that travels I return again...' (Sonnet 109)

I'm back!

This blog fell on the backburner for me over the past few months, as I've struggled with illness and a busy, busy schedule. But on reflection, this project of writing about Shakespeare and reviewing theatre is really important to me, especially as I go into an MA in Shakespeare and Theatre at the Shakespeare Institute.