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Propwatch: the plastic bags in Macbeth

April 18, 2018 by David Jays Leave a Comment

Propwatch: the plastic bags in Macbeth

Rufus Norris’ bereft, survivalist production of Macbeth was the show that launched a thousand thinkpieces about his regime at the National Theatre. The reviews were overwhelmingly hostile, and this apparently misfired Shakespeare followed on the heels of a series of mishit new plays in the Olivier Theatre, the company’s flagship space. Was Norris’ time up? Several weeks on, and with a fistful … [Read more...]

Would you vote for Julius Caesar?

February 5, 2018 by David Jays Leave a Comment

Would you vote for Julius Caesar?

Be honest – would you vote for any of these dodgy, blundering political contenders? The talking point around Nicholas Hytner’s production of Julius Caesar has been that many of us get to swarm around the action, gawping at the Roman elite, swayed by their rhetoric and shoved by security. First of all we’re whooping at Caesar’s rally (there’s beer! I bought a badge!), then eavesdrop as Cassius … [Read more...]

Funny or die

March 5, 2017 by David Jays Leave a Comment

Funny or die

What makes a comedy? Perspective. Ask Shakespeare’s Malvolia, Titania, or Andrew Aguecheek if they’re living in a comedy and they’ll gaze at you with tear-stained incredulity. Publicly shamed, sexually humiliated, drugged and tricked into – oh yes – public sex with a donkey. Oh, how they laugh. Whether we laugh – or whether we’re encouraged to do so – depends on the production. Perhaps we … [Read more...]

Propwatch: the watches in Hamlet

February 28, 2017 by David Jays 1 Comment

Propwatch: the watches in Hamlet

‘You’re back again?’ said the friend-of-a-friend usher at the Almeida when I arrived for Hamlet. She was mistaken. The insanely awaited production starring Andrew Scott is so very sold-out that buying even one ticket felt like a triumph. And, at nigh-on four hours, I was sure once would be fine. Nah-uh: Scott’s performance and Robert Icke’s production are a blanket of revelation. I arrived … [Read more...]

Madhouse/playhouse

September 18, 2016 by David Jays Leave a Comment

Madhouse/playhouse

When the great Victorian actor Ellen Terry was preparing to play Ophelia, she visited a London asylum to observe young women who might unlock the character. However, the madwomen were, she wrote, useless for research: ‘too theatrical.’ The interplay between playhouse and madhouse is a theme running unobtrusively through much of Bedlam, a fascinating exhibition at the invaluable Wellcome … [Read more...]

Queering the canon – the new normal?

August 19, 2016 by David Jays Leave a Comment

Queering the canon – the new normal?

  In John Tiffany’s absorbing production of The Glass Menagerie (seen in New York in 2013, now playing at the Edinburgh International Festival), isolation is a defining note. The Wingfield family’s St Louis apartment is lapped by inky water, so that the rooms appear like islands. They’re marooned. The Wingfields are feely – so much feely – but rarely touchy. Cherry Jones’ mother … [Read more...]

Propwatch: Richard III’s spine

August 5, 2016 by David Jays 1 Comment

Propwatch: Richard III’s spine

When archaeologists excavating a Leicestershire car park in 2013 uncovered a battle-scarred skeleton, the emergence of its severely curved spine was the first strong indication that these were the remains of Richard III: England’s most notorious monarch, Shakespeare’s irredeemable villain. Further research and DNA testing supported the archaeologists’ theory: hitting a nerve at the juncture of … [Read more...]

Opening arguments

May 28, 2016 by David Jays 1 Comment

Opening arguments

When Emma Rice was appointed artistic director of Shakespeare’s Globe earlier this year, it seemed an inspired choice. Irreverent, populist, she was director of Kneehigh. a company with a ballsy, outward-facing performance style splashed with visual and musical vigour. Her initial Globe interviews, however, wound me right up – she couldn’t stop banging on about how she struggled with Shakespeare, … [Read more...]

Propwatch: the cake in Kings of War

April 30, 2016 by David Jays 3 Comments

Propwatch: the cake in Kings of War

A good prop isn’t a decoration or a bystander but a player. The cake that dominates the stage picture midway through Ivo van Hove’s Kings of War is never mere set dressing. It’s the closest thing to a UN peacekeeping mission in this production of Shakespeare’s fractious history plays: glistening with promise yet ultimately doomed. When the Duke of York seizes power, he remodels the war room in … [Read more...]

Take me to your leader

April 28, 2016 by David Jays 2 Comments

Take me to your leader

What does leadership look like? We’re seeing an American election which has thrown up new models of presidential presentation: female politicrat, throwback socialist, celebrity blowhard. In Toneelgroep Amsterdam’s Kings of War, we see three more, applicable to our own time. Henry V, playboy-turned warmonger; the bedwetter, Henry VI; Richard III, the psycho who no one takes seriously until far … [Read more...]

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David Jays

I am a writer and critic on performance, books and film and currently write for, among others, the Sunday Times and the Guardian. I edit Dance Gazette, the magazine of the Royal Academy of Dance. I’m also a lifelong Londoner: it’s the perfect city for connecting to art forms that both look back and spring forward. [Read More]

Performance Monkey

This is what theatre and dance audiences do: we sit in the dark, watching performances. And then, if it seems worth it, we think about what we've seen, and how it made us feel. The blog should be a conversation, so please comment on the posts and add your thoughts. You know what I've always … [Read More...]

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Recent Comments

  • David Jays on Propwatch: the book in The Inheritance: “That's lovely of you to say, Amina. Thank you.” Apr 18, 08:20
  • Amina on Propwatch: the book in The Inheritance: “'Howards End walks beside it, holding out a hand from the past.' Economical and aptly indirect. Love this insightful…” Apr 8, 09:06
  • David Jays on Propwatch: the dolls in John: “Thank you, Neil.” Mar 17, 09:02
  • Neil Norman on Propwatch: the dolls in John: “An absurdly fascinating piece. 'Nobody puts Samantha in the corner' Hah!” Mar 17, 08:51
  • David Jays on Propwatch: the letters in Hamilton: “Yes! Truly upsetting, for both of them.” Jan 23, 08:34
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An ArtsJournal Blog

Recent Posts

  • Propwatch: the plastic bags in Macbeth
  • Propwatch: the book in The Inheritance
  • Propwatch: the axe in Buggy Baby
  • Propwatch: the dolls in John
  • Would you vote for Julius Caesar?

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