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.
