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Making History-Shakespeare and the Royal Family - Exhibition Click here to watch What has Shakespeare done for the royal family - and what has the royal family done for Shakespeare? This online exhibition draws together objects from the Royal Collection, the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Folger Shakespeare Library and others, to explore the story of royal interest in Shakespeare from 1714-1945. It shows how Shakespeare has been used by royal individuals for personal, political, and performative reasons. When we think of the connections between Shakespeare and the royal family, we tend to recall various depictions in art and film of Elizabeth I going to the Globe—sometimes in disguise—and being bowled over by her favourite playwright’s latest work. Yet Elizabeth never actually went to the Globe, and she had limited interest in the stage. In fact, the most important connections between Shakespeare and the royals developed after Shakespeare’s lifetime. No other writer has ever determined royal history, or provided a model for royal behaviour and education, in the way Shakespeare has done for the British royal family. The Act of Settlement of 1701 forbade any Catholic succeeding to the English throne. So, when Queen Anne died in 1714, the crown passed to the son of her deceased first cousin once removed, whose primary qualification was his Protestant faith. George I spoke no English but established the Hanoverian dynasty. Over the century to come, both the Hanoverians and Shakespeare became central parts of British cultural life. The exhibition is divided into three sections and eight 'rooms' exploring the histories of specific works. Look out for Guided Tour icons to explore images up close; 3D models of historic performance spaces, and short videos exploring objects in more detail. Don Quixote - Dutch National Ballet Click here to watch Don Q, as it is familiarly known to dancers and ballet lovers alike, has a very silly story which matters not in the least because it has been, for more than 100 years, one of the most popular ballets in every major company’s repertoire. This version is by Alexei Ratmansky, inspired, of course, by Marius Petipa's original libretto from the 1860s, touched up by him in 1871, and loosely, very loosely, based on Cervantes’ classic novel. This incarnation was made for the Dutch National Ballet and stars Anna Tsygankova and Matthew Golding. It is a dazzling display of high spirits, virtuosity and Spanish temperament. The flamboyant leaps, dizzying pirouettes and crisp pointe work show off the dancers’ technical prowess and exuberance. The music is by Ludwig Minkus, who also wrote the score for La Bayadere. Jim Mullen's Volunteers - Ronnie Scott’s Livestreams Click here for tickets Legendary 'musician's musician' Jim Mullen brings together an All Star band in this rare Ronnie Scott's headline residency. Ronnie Scott's is extremely proud to present one of their favourite musicians. A multi-award winner, including a special Honorary Parliamentary Jazz Award in 2017, Jim Mullen is widely regarded as one of the finest jazz guitarists in Europe. Originally from Glasgow he made his name working with a number of seminal bands through the 70’s and 80’s including The Average White Band and his own highly acclaimed jazz/funk band “Morrissey Mullen”. A highly prized sideman as well as leader Jim also includes work with the likes of Mose Allison, Jimmy Witherspoon, Georgie Fame and Gene Harris on a stellar CV. Jim will be performing with his quite remarkable 9-piece band featuring a who's who of UK jazz, who also wrote most of the arrangements. Aug 16 £11.30 Bette Davis Ain’t for Sissies – Jessica Sherr Click here for tickets Jessica Sherr’s much lauded one-woman show about the legendary movie star Bette Davis is part of the Edinburgh Fringe online series. 1939: Bette returns home knowing she’s to lose, as the press has already leaked the Oscar winners. Bette takes us on a bumpy ride, as the tenacious actress fights her way to the top. Witness Bette triumph over misogyny, to win roles and compensation on par with male counterparts. Through conversations with her mother, her friendship with Olivia de Havilland, her four failed marriages and her feelings of regret about her groundbreaking court case, we experience Bette’s most defining moments; Bette at her most vulnerable. See what happens when someone who always wins… loses. Until Aug 29 £16 Edinburgh Fringe Online Click here for schedule Highlights are many and various and include ZooTV (https://zootv.live/zootv/) with wide selection of pre-recorded and livestreamed events including Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s productions of two plays in which the British writer/director Tim Crouch imagines the perspective of minor Shakespeare characters: Macbeth’s henchman in I, Banquo and a short-lived Rome citizen in I, Cinna (the poet). Check out the full schedule on the website. Until Aug. 30 Wigmore Hall - lunchtime concerts Click here to watch The programming from the grand old lady of Wigmore Street has kept me going through the pandemic. The best place in London to hear chamber music had been providing concerts, recitals and good musical conversation throughout the past year and, although they are now once again open for business, John Gilhooly, the indefatigable director of the hall continues to programme tasty online and livestreamed concerts for our pleasure. They have been free to watch, although the quality alone has demanded that I pay something to ensure that they continue. Do become a Friend of Wigmore Hall, it’s only £50 a year and worth it for the advance notice of who’s coming and who’s playing what. This week, for example, on Monday at 1pm, we can watch the debut of a brand new ensemble, the Wigmore Soloists, performing Schubert’s inimitable 1824 Octet. The new group is led by Isabelle van Keulen and Michael Collins, who are joined by a roster of top musicians. The Octet was conceived using Beethoven’s Opus20 Septet as a model, adding a second violin to the forces, and is the epitome of the divertimento in its variety and tunefulness. And on Thursday at 1, pianist Igor Levit is playing an all-Beethoven programme which takes us from Beethoven’s first canonical sonata (1795), through to the short G major work (1809), by way of the 1800-1 sonata that includes a celebrated funeral march and the 1803 work dedicated to the composer’s patron Count Waldstein. These are definitely worth missing your lunchtime cheese sandwich for. But of course, since both concerts are online, you can eat while you watch and listen. Good old Wigmore Hall, literally ‘good’ and ‘old’, don’t ever stop. Liz Callaway – Comin’ Around Again Click here for tickets My friend Liz Callaway, that wonderful Broadway and cabaret singer, is performing at Feinstein’s/54 Below in New York this week and, although her cabaret evening is accessible to us in Europe and elsewhere, it’s only available live at 7pm ET and not repeated, so, for those of us who like our sleep, a midnight start is a bit late. Liz tells me that Christy Altomare, who played Anastasia on Broadway is going to be her special guest and she is sure the concert will appeal to her many UK fans as it has a healthy dose of Sondheim as well as songs by Maltby & Shire, Stephen Schwartz, Carly Simon, and others. If you’re not familiar with her work, Liz is an Emmy Award-winning actress, singer and recording artist. She made her Broadway debut in Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along, received a Tony nomination for Baby, and for five years, won acclaim as Grizabella in Cats. She was in the original casts of Miss Saigon, The Three Musketeers, and The Look of Love. I’m telling you about it so that those of you who are on East Coast time can watch it with pleasure, and it will be a pleasure, I promise, and the rest of us can fume that we can’t. The venue’s website informs us helpfully that they are livestreaming concerts that are “designed to make more shows accessible to fans from across the globe”. But only insomniacs, I assume. Monday, Aug 9 7pm ET $25
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AuthorRuth Leon is a writer and critic specialising in music and theatre. Archives
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