Encountering Theatre - Week 6

Semiotics in Theatre

- Young Vic is one of the 7 buildings in London that is run by a non white community

large amount of diversity in people and costumes 4 run by black community, 3 of which where appointed in 2018

- costumes changed throughout the piece depending on the color

- The songs where used as a navigation using modern English away from the dialogue which was spoken in Shakespearean tongue

- You could use the songs to figure out the plot

- The Windrush generation refers to the immigrants who were invited to the UK between 1948 and 1971 from Caribbean countries such as Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados. The name derives from the ship MV Empire Windrush, which on June 22, 1948, docked in Tilbury, Essex, bringing nearly 500 Jamaicans to the UK

Twelfth Night

- Emma Rice put on Twelfth Night as her last production at the Shakespearean Globe las year.

- Kwame Kwei-Armah was the artistic director for this Musical Version of Twelfth night and was his debut show for the Young Vic.

- Kwei-Armah created this idea alongside Shaina Taub, retains the plot but only has its running time to 90 minutes. 'The result is equal parts street party and musical, generously laced with full-full-blown production numbers (with music and lyrics by Taub and choreography by Lizzi Gee)' (Quoted from https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/reviews/review-twelfth-night-is-a-terrific-start-to-a-new-chapter-at-the-young-vic) which the choreography was fantastic and truly deiplayed the wide range of emotions Shakespeare aimed to achieve with the original play, matching the fantastic score

- Co-director was Oskar Eustis (who runs the Public Theatre in New York),

- Designed by British designer Robert Jones

- A fully diverse cast yet there is no mixing of gender.

- Cast

- Martin Ellis as Sir Toby Belch

- Silas Wyatt-Barke as Sir Andrew Aguecheek

- Gbemisola Ikumelo as Maria

- Gerard Carey's pompous Malvolio,

- Rupert Young as Orsino

- Natalia Dew as Olivia

- Gabrielle Brooks as Viola.

- Each Gave a hilarious and vibrant performance which enlightened the audience. Was sung and acted off the stage

- Community chorus of 30 performers drawn from the local area.

- In a programme note, Kwei-Armah and the theatre's executive director Despina Tsatsas applaud them: “they are not trained actors; they are our wonderful neighbours and friends performing alongside a sensational cast of consummate professional actors and musicians. We think that's pretty special."

- This piece was great to see following Tobi Kyere's visit and thus to have a large mixed race community chorus was inspiring

- Young Vic's global reachs partnership with the Public Theater