The year of Shakespeare

Photograph: Keith Pattison

Shakespeare seems to be the name on every body's lips in the world of theatre this year. With the The Globe's hugely impressive GlobeToGlobe taking place right now and the RSC putting on their 'What Country Friends Is This' trilogy, Shakespeare seems to be everywhere up and down the country (just this morning it was announced that the Sheffield Crucible will be putting on a new production of Macbeth directed by Daniel Evans). With huge amounts of plays to choose from, I thought I would compile a list of the Shakespeare must sees of the year:

Ninagawa Company's Cymbeline at the Barbican, 29th May - 2nd June.
Otello at the Royal Opera House, 12th July - 24th July.
Troilus and Cressida at the RSC, 3rd August - 18th August.
Timon of Athens at the National Theatre, 10th July - 9th September (as of yet, more dates are yet to be announced).
King Lear at the Almeida Theatre, 31st August - 3rd November.

What is impressive about the amount of Shakespeare being put on this year is that it allows for the more obscure plays to be performed which might not normally get a look in when up against Macbeth or Hamlet. I think, this year, the most exciting productions will be of the more obscure of Shakespeare's plays such as King John at the RSC has been put into an innovative and original production by Maria Aberg.


p.s. I haven't abandoned this blog, I have just been very busy as of late and therefore my theatre-going duties will resume in a couple of weeks.