Shakespearean public announcements in Newcastle and Gateshead
Creative writers ... Where art thou?
'Here stops the Gateshead train at platform nine,
Thou will find first class coaches down the line'
Next week (from Tuesday 20 October) sees the start of The Royal Shakespeare Company's annual residency in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. As well as performances of Shakespeare's As You Like It, Julius Caesar and The Winter's Tale in the Theatre Royal, The Comedy of Errors tour of primary schools and two new plays influenced by the Bard at Northern Stage, people in Newcastle and Gateshead may get a very different slice of Shakespeare when they are least expecting it.
The RSC and Wunderbar Festival are bringing Shakespeare's language bang up to date by creating a series of everyday public announcements influenced by Shakespeare's plays, themes, characters and verse.
'Fancy free', 'mum's the word', and 'all that glitters is not gold'. The English language is full of phrases influenced by Shakespeare. As far as the RSC and Wunderbar are aware, his language has never before been turned into everyday public announcements.
The announcements will be recorded by RSC actors including current members of the ensemble Peter Peverley and Paul Hamilton (both from the North East) as well as Chuk Iwuji, part of the Olivier Award winning Histories company from 2006-8. The announcements will be broadcast in and around Newcastle and Gateshead in Metro Stations, The Tyneside Cinema, The Theatre Royal and Northern Stage.
Triple if.comedy Award nominee Russell Kane is already busy creating some of the announcements and Wunderbar and The RSC are looking for help from the public.
To write or not to write, that is the question.
Ignite your mind, scribe it down and send us your suggestion!
For those more Shakespeare minded colleagues you can read more on the Wundebar website.
