Richard II

When I was in Stratford, I had the pleasure of seeing Richard II performed live with David Tennant in the starring role.  Because it was such a big show and sold out so quickly, the Royal Shakespeare Company chose to film it live for broadcast worldwide to give it an even larger audience for the very first time.  So even though I flew thousands of miles to see it, I chose to drive to Fairfax VA to see it again.  It was just as amazing and wonderful on the big screen as it was live in the theatre.

The British theatres seem to be doing this live for broadcast thing a great deal and I just can't say too many good things about it.  Not only does it give the opportunity to see live theatre to people who wouldn't ordinarily have the chance, but it also introduces those people to shows, ideas, and people they may have known nothing about previously.  It was clear in today's showing, that the big draw was David Tennant (and quite honestly that's why I was there) but the production was stunning and it seemed the audience thought so as well.  

I only hope that the RSC decides to follow suit of National Theatre (Manchester) and will begin broadcasting most of their productions world wide.  With the big Shakespeare anniversary coming up and RSC Creative Director Greg Doran planning all 36 of  Shakespeare's works over the next 6 years, I have a feeling these live productions will be the perfect draw for Shakespeare fans,  as well as the perfect drain on my wallet.  Now if we could just get the Broadway shows to do the same thing, I'd be in heaven!