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ROMEO AND
JULIET
AUGUST
2008
Introduction compiled by
Cardiff Shakespeare Readers (with some additions by Michael
Bogdanov)
Shakespeare and the Welsh
Digressing a
little from the matter in hand, our group discussed
Shakespeare's representations of Wales and the Welsh. What
scenes and characters in the canons of Shakespeare and his
contemporaries depict Welsh people and Welsh locations?
-
As You
Like it - Jaques introduces a song based around the
"nonsense" word Ducdame. Once all have sat to listen to the
song, Jaques announces that 'tis a Greek invocation, to
draw fools into a circle'. One interesting
interpretation says that Ducdame is actually Shakespeare's
spelling of the Welsh Dewch da mi i.e."come to
me".
-
Henry V
- Henry Monmouth - boasts three times of his Welsh
credentials. He is 'proud to be a Welshman'. When he snoops
around the troops at night he adopts a Welsh accent.
-
Fluellen is a significant and very richly developed Welsh
soldier in Henry V. There are two further Welsh characters
in this play: William and Captain Gower.
-
Romeo
and Juliet in which the Welsh Fairy Queen Mab has her own
very famous monologue.
-
Cymbeline in which much of the action takes place in Milford
Haven. 'Wild' Wales is seen as a civilising place away from
the corruption of the Court in London and where an exercise
in primitive democracy is played out. The beginnings of our
communitarian character as a nation?
-
Henry
IV part 1 in which Owain Glendower features and an entire
scene is demanded in the Welsh language, between himself and
a lady who sings a Welsh song. This scene is the first plea
for racial and cultural harmony in drama ever.
-
Merry
Wives of Windsor in which Hugh Evans, a Welsh parson, plays
a pivotal role.
-
The narrator
from Pericles is named Gower
-
In
Richard II the Captain is Welsh, probably played by the same
actor as Glendower.
-
The
story of King Lear is taken from Geoffrey of Monmouth's 'Llyr'.
-
Richmond in
Richard III lands in Milford Haven
-
There is a
description in Henry IV of a battle between England and
Wales
-
Puck in
Midsummer Nights Dream could be inspired by Pwca from Welsh
folklore. Indeed it is said that Shakespeare wrote "Dream"
whilst in "The Fairy Glen" on the banks of the river Clydach
in Breconshire (For further information, see the "A
Midsummer Night's Dream" page.)
-
Davy Gam, a
welsh nobleman, is mentioned as dying in Agincourt in Henry
V
-
Act 3.3 of
Richard II features a scene outside Flint Castle
-
Shakespeare's
apprentice Thomas
Middleton's "A Chaste Maid in Cheapside" features a Welsh
prostitute who sings a song, and speaks in a Welsh language
of dubious authenticity...
-
It is
also interesting to note Shakespeare's teacher at Stratford
was Welsh, and indeed there is even a theory that
Shakespeare's grandmother was Welsh.
NUBBING IN MILFORD HAVEN
Another
addition courtesy of Nigel Watson: "Nubbing" is the practice
of covering a forgotten speech in Shakespeare by inserting
an irrelevant piece of nonsense, pre-prepared by each
individual actor. The "nub" contained the word nub early on
to indicate to other actors that this was what was
happening, and always ended with the words Milford Haven!
(For no obvious reason). Milford Haven was hence the cue for
another actor to take over and recover the plot of the play.
Michael Coveney for the
New Statesmen writes:
Donald Wolfit, the last
great actor-manager, nubbed famously along
these lines: "List, I sense a nubbing in
far glens, where minnows swoop the pikey
deep which is unpiked less pikey be,
cross-bolted in their crispy muffs and
choose the trammelled way . . . Oh freeze my
soul in fitful sleep lest wind-filled
sprites bequim the air and take us singly or
in threes in mad agog or lumpsome nub,
aghast to Milford Haven."
And then Coveney adds
his own nub:
"And
now, methinks, I must away
to horse, my nub is sorely
pressed and, hark, the
eagle, soaring high and
cawing like the creature of
the night, the shard-born
raven, proclaims we are
bemused and struck so far
from finding our next line
that happy is the man at
home in Milford Haven."
Cast
Our chronological readings of
Shakespeare’s plays continued on Sunday
3rd August 2008,
with a splendid cast reading “Romeo
and Juliet”.
The Cast were:
Ruling house of Verona
Prince
Escalus: Prince of
Verona:
Jon Preece
Count
Paris: Kinsman of Prince Escalus: Laurence Clarke
Mercutio:
Another kinsman of Prince Escalus; a friend of Romeo: Kit
Lambert
Capulets
Lord
Capulet: Patriarch of the house of Capulet: Jon
Preece
Lady
Capulet: Matriarch of the house of Capulet; wishes
Juliet to marry Paris: Anne Lister
Juliet:
Daughter of the Capulets; the female protagonist: Elin Mair
Leyshon
Tybalt:
Cousin of Juliet, nephew of Lady Capulet: Steve Purbrick
Nurse:
Juliet's personal attendant and confidante: Ceri Clutterbuck
Peter: Capulet servant, assistant to the
nurse: Jon Preece
Samson: Servant: Kit Lambert
Gregory: Servant: Stephen Whitehead
Montagues
Lord
Montague: Patriarch of the house of Montague:
Laurence Clarke
Lady
Montague: Matriarch of the house of Montague: Ceri
Clutterbuck
Romeo:
Son of the Montagues; the male protagonist: Adam Timms
Benvolio:
Cousin and friend of Romeo: Stephen Whitehead
Abram: Servant: Steve Purbrick
Balthasar: The servant of Romeo: Anne
Lister
Others
Friar
Lawrence (Friar Laurence): a
Franciscan friar and Romeo's confidant: Anne Lister
Chorus:
Jon Preece
Friar John: Another friar who is sent to
deliver Friar Lawrence's letter to Romeo: Kit Lambert
Apothecary: Druggist who reluctantly sells
Romeo poison: Ceri Clutterbuck
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