Theatres as tribute to Shakespeare

by Gwen Herat

As theatre started flourishing and audience-interest growing, actors and directors indicated their desire for more improvised theatre on which to lay down Shakespeare's plays. They needed plush settings as well as properly lit stages to support various scenes with props on which the plays' popularity would grow and enhance the story and the dialogue value.

The late Sam Wanamaker, Hollywood actor and director, and devotee of Shakespeare's plays, arrived in England in 1940 and built the present Globe theatre in its original site.

Gone were the days of bare stages and travelling theatre with intensity cast over acting which were to produce thespians in the near future. Theatre had to be part of their culture that would earn its place in British history, eventually.

The old Vic

In 1818 a theatre named Royal Coburg was built at the junction of Waterloo Road and the Cut South of the Thames and later renamed the Royal Victoria and in its place stand the Old Vic. This theatre had a turbulent early history but under the guidance of Emma Cons, it modulated in 1880 to the Royal Victoria Hall. Con's neice, Lilian Baylis volunteered to help.

She was just 23 years and in 1914, chose to present Shakespeare as well as popular operas in the theatre with its gas-lit stage. This went well under directors such as Ben Greet and Robert Atkins. By the autumn of 1923 the tercentenary year of the first Folio every play in the canon had been performed by actors such as Sybil Thorndyke, Ion Swinley, and Edith Evans. A new director, Harcourt Williams in 1929 commissioned the young John Gielgud as the leading man during two renowned seasons. With the help of such big names as that of Peggy Ashcroft, Tyrone Gutheri, Charles Laughton, Flora Robson and many others the theatre established itself in the 1930s. In 1937 Laurence Olivier's Hamlet and Henry V announced the mergence of a major Shakespeare theatre. After much dedication and perseverance to promote theatre as a vibrant image, Lillian Baylis died later the same year but not before she saw the Vic became, in effect, a National Theatre.

Then came the devastation; the theatre was bombed and the company moved to the New Theatre (known as Albery Today) from 1944 to the spring of 1950.

Later on, under the direction of Oliver, Richardson and John Burrell, were the years of Oliver's famous Richard III (1944) and the two Henry IV chronicles (1945). Steadily Shakespeare characters emerged gloriously to capture the imagination of the audience. In 1949 another Old Vic sprang up at the Theatre Royal in Bristol and Hamlet was directed by Micheal Redgrave.

This was followed by the opening of the Waterloo Road theatre under Hugh Hunt. With the passing of many summers, The Old Vic was the monument for other subsidiary theatres, some of which survived while others faded away. The National Company left for its new theatre while the Prospect Company appeared under the Old Vic. Prospect became known officially as the Old Vic company in 1979.

The National Theatre

The magnificent open air stage of the present Globe built by Wanamaker.

Until the completion of their own theatre which took nearly 13 years from 1963, the National Theatre put up with the Old Vic in readiness at the South Bank. Despite the National Theatre being suggested as far back as 1848, the work did not commence until 1969, after a false start in 1951. The first chairman of the South Bank Theatre Board was set up in 1962 to overseas the building of the theatre. The three theatres contained nearly 2500 seats. Lord Oliver Lyttelton was director from 1963-1973 followed by Sir Peter Hall who took over until 1988. It was also in 1988 that the National Theatre gained a Royal charter.

Open Air Festival

Twelfth Night was the first play to be launched at the Open Air Festival at Regent's Park by an Australian actor who masterminded the idea, Sydney Carrol along with director, Robert Atkins.

This was in 1932 and despite the losses of $ 560, Carrol was given the opportunity to establish a theatre in the Inner Circle adjoining Queen Mary's Garden. The open air stage was backed by a screen of popular artistes with a marquee on hand for inclement weather. Carrol who reshaped the stage, planted tress and hired deck chairs along with long benches that drew a first audience of nearly 2500 people. But he lost $3000 but he was not disappointed. Determined to secure a financial future, he sought funding from the Arts Council. A year later, the company had its first overseas tour. Director, David Conville associated with the theatre for more than thirty years featuring some of the world 's leading thespians.

English Shakespeare Company

The English Shakespeare (ESC) was established in 1986 by director, Michael Bogdanov, along with actor, Michael Pennington. Their inaugural production was Henry IV. They toured throughout the world to great success and acclaim and added four new productions to form the War of Roses which is Shakespeare's complete history cycle... for which Michael Bogdanov won the Oliver award as Best Producer. Over fifteen plays were performed in the next six years including a tour to four African countries. It included a special adoption of Macbeth along with Coriolanes the winter's Talee.

The Globe

The most popular of all theatres, especially with the modern audiences, was the Globe Theatre which opened in 1599 and in which Shakespeare had a share. It is sited at Southwark on the south bank of the Thames. In 1963, The Globe burnt down accidentally during a performance of Henry III, was rebuilt and opened again in 1614. Thirty years later, the Puritans pulled it down.

The original Globe that was mysteriously burnt down

Then came the saviour of the theatre, Sam Wanamaker, Hollywood actor and director and a passionate devotee of Shakespeare's plays. Arriving in England, he started looking over the original sight of the Globe in 1940. But the locals knew little about its history. However, he found a plaque that indicated the site and went about determined to rebuild The Globe that was going to be his tribute to the Bard whose works fascinated him. The Shakespeare's Globe Trust was set up with Prince Philip as Patron and Wanamaker as Chief Executive. A fund-raising committees were set up in United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Japan India and Germany. With friends of Shakespeare's Globe, all financial hurdles were overcome and the final phase of the building started in June 1992. Tragically Wanamaker died in 1993 deprived of seeing his dream reaching the last brick. But the whole world knows that the Globe is his beautiful dream come true.

Stratford-Ontario

One of the greatest tributes paying homage to the non-Canadian William Shakespeare is the Stratford - Ontario that fired the imagination of a local journalist, Tom Patterson on the possibility of an annual Shakespeare Festival in the Canadian Stratford. It took place at as small Ontario town by the Canadian Avon. Tyronne Gutherie tempted by unexpected ideas, agreed immediately to travel from England to direct an Elizabethen play evolved by Tanya Moiseiwitch. Originally, the festivals were held in a large tent but by summer 1953, Alec Guinness acted as Richard III and Irene was Helena in Alls Well That Ends Well which was one of Gutheri's favourite plays. It was the beginning of a dream to all Shakespeare-loving Canadians and became the home for all North American audiences.

There were a variety of administrators of high profile like Tyronne, Gutherie, Michael Laughton, Jean Gascon and Robin Phillips.

The stage remained in its original form as a Stratford creation and during its thirty years the Shakespeare Folio was very consistent. The summer festival was given international fame to its inconspicuous town and is still under director, Robin Phillips.