By Matt Trueman for The Guardian, 28 September 2015
Britain does Shakespeare brilliantly, but it mostly does Shakespeare a certain way. So much of our Shakespeare looks and sounds the same, with classical actors and perfect verse-speaking. House styles may differ but the starting point is the same: close textual analysis and a predetermined reading.
That’s not to knock that approach. It yields top-drawer – not to mention varied – productions: everything from Gregory Doran’s loving reverence to Rupert Goold’s vivid reinvention.
But it isn’t the only way to make theatre or, indeed, to play Shakespeare. This week, Improbable present their production of The Tempest at Northern Stage in Newcastle upon Tyne. After 20 years of devised theatre, it’s the company’s first shot at Shakespeare. Over the last decade or so, a number of other experimental ensembles – Kneehigh, Told by an Idiot, Oily Cart – have also turned their hands to the Bard for the first time.
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