May, 26th 2018. Japan on the Rhine.
20. May 2018
Make sure you have always a „plan B“ in your pocket
29. May 2018
When shall we three meet again?
Well, the famous three witches in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, who – at the very beginning of this grandiose drama – make their next appointment with respect to their business of fateful prophecy, definitely did not talk about going to the theater, but they had the good and woe of a king in mind. And this did not turn out well. Besides that, the weather was pretty bad.
When shall we meet, even in thunder, lightning or in rain? What about going to the theatre, and enjoy a top-class Shakespearean drama performance? And to make this even more authentic, in a replica of the famous Globe Theatre. The very special annual festival is definitely a well-established top event, that had started 27 years ago, in 1991. Indeed, the Neuss event is Great theater (yes, „great“ with a capital “G“). And being very loyal fans ourselves, we are particularly pleased that not only our regular theater event guests, but also our neighbors are among the promoters of this major theater event. Maybe you too, soon?
Shakespeare for every occasion
The annually changing program with 30 performances is a true major public attraction . Every year, an audience of around 15,000 visitors is inspired by the mixture of national and international ensembles, who perform the works of Shakespeare, sometimes in their original language, on a simple stage without elaborate scenery. Here, the traditional Elizabethan “word setting” is not gray theory, but comes to life vividly. Of course, there are productions, that are very close to the original text and in original language, but also contemporary arrangements and very unconventional interpretations. From one-person theater to a large ensemble, actors from England, Germany, Austria, Spain, Poland and the USA show what Shakespeare has to offer. A special Shakespearean afternoon for children on July 1st, 2018, shows just how timeless the Shakespeare universe is. Regular participants include the bremer shakespeare company and the Rheinische Landestheater Neuss. This year, 14 plays of the theater grandmaster are on the list.
As you like it. Overview on this year’s program
- The bremer shakespeare company starts with their version of King Charles III., a »Future History Play«, written by Mike Bartlett, a hypothetical royal drama with comedy elements.
- Shakespeare in original language is presented by the Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory with their King Henry V.
- The „Twelfth Night“ can be enjoyed in two very different interpretations, one by the Flute theatre and the other by the London based handlebards. And the Globe on Tour project lets decide the audience whether they should perform either The Merchant of Venice, The Taming of the Shrew or Twelth Night.
- Die US ensemble Q-Brothers presents the Q-gents, Two Gentlemen of Chicago, who transform Shakespeare into a very entertaining HipHop spectacle.
- The Theaterachse Salzburg present their interpretation of „The tempest“ in German.
- The Rheinische Landestheater and their version of „Othello“ just have to cross the street, kind of a true home match for the Neuss based Landestheater ensemble.
- The Shakespeare Company Berlin present their „Merchant of Venice“.
- Bea von Malchus has written an entire play herself and presents her „Queens“, kind of a time travel back to Elisabeth I. and her complicated family.
- Same procedure as every year. Of course, in this year as well, there is a top level program for the polyglot Shakespeare connoisseur, and anyone who wants to become one. The Barcelona based Projecte Ingenu presents a Spanish version of “Romeo y Julieta”. Everyone claims to know this most famous pair of lovers of all time, but do you really know this story in great detail? Subtitles help with their performance as well as with the „Taming of the Shrew”, which is very bitchy young lady in the turbulent, magnificent performance of the Teatre Papahema from Białystok (Poland) …
- The film genre is represented by a scoring of the silent movie classic “Hamlet” with Asta Nielsen in the role of the tragic Danish prince. The music is written and performed by composer and clarinetist Michael Riessler
- There’s definitely no shortage of music at all: the theater and music ensemble Mellow Melange presents a whole bunch of music genres, pop and chamber music, jazz and classical, soul and folk with their program „Accept me as I am. Yours, Will! “, which deals with Shakespeare’s sonnets.
This is truly Shakespeare „as you like it.“ The festival does offer something for everyone. Lectures and a seminar program complete the festival. Patrick Spottiswoode, head of the Educational Department of the Globe London, will be „on stage“ again this year, and provides lots of profound background knowledge. And even if that does not really apply to the traditional, and thus rather barren Shakespeare stage of the Neusser Globe (but it just sounds so good and fits so well with the theater itself!): Curtain up! Have fun!
Tickets available at the Neuss Shakespeare festival official site: www.shakespeare-festival.de
