Rachael Nicholas
I am a PhD student at the University of Roehampton, researching live digital relays of Shakespeare and their audiences. Former MA Shakespeare Studies student at KCL.
Location London
Activity
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Hi Solange, sorry that you didn't like the delivery of the video - just to contextualise I had to create this video in order to reply in real time to the results of a poll sent out in a welcome email, so because of this I had less than a day to put the content together and film it - hence why it's filmed in my room on a laptop rather than professionally shot...
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Hi Gill and Paola, sorry that you didn't like the delivery of the video - I had to create this video quite quickly (so that I could respond to the poll results) and from home, so didn't have a great deal of time to prepare or practice. I wanted my points to come across clearly and I found that I could do this much better when reading from a script. I would...
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Thank you Katie!
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I believe some of the productions would have been accompanied by a live band and an announcer - the authority on Silent Film Shakespeare is Prof. Judith Buchanan, I found this recent Radio 4 program of her talking about her research and work which should be interesting if you wanted to find out more http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0773ld6
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Fantastic Gareth! I'm going to show this comment to my other half when he's engrossed in tweaking his fantasy football team! Saying that, it's not completely unrelated to the issues in this conversation - I am actually quite interested in how Fantasy Football changes the way people are watching football and their relationship to it - but that's probably a...
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Thank you Michael!
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Your laptop issue reminds me that it's important to remember that just because something is available online, it might not necessarily be available to everyone - there can still be barriers, for example, working internet (and non-overheating laptops!)
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Hi Frederick and Malcolm - these are all really interesting points, cost is a really complex issue because I think can be quite subjective whether something is 'expensive' and is caught up in the other 'investments' that theatregoing involves (time, travel etc.) It's true that cheap tickets are available for most London theatres (most of which I've taken...
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Those are fantastic, thank you Laura! I'm going to be watching those all day now.
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'Like a circle' is a really nice way to describe it Susan, I completely see what you mean.
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Those Skype play readings sound fantastic Kim - I've not heard of people doing that before!
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Hi Ann, a better rephrasing might be, what are the issue and problems if we see live performance as the 'best' way to view Shakespeare? For example, who does this exclude?
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Thank you for the feedback Jan, sorry about the speed, it was my first time on video like this so was probably nerves! Let me know if you need clarification on anything at all.
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Thanks Clare (and hi!) - I'm a big fan of Globe ticket prices, and was also there for the return of the G2G Hamlet! I'm jealous of your accidental Q&A with Jess Thom - Tourette's Hero is fantastic and highlights some really important issues about how the theatre can be alienating or difficult for some people in ways that we don't often think about or take for...
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Hi Sandra, I wasn't equating the two - rather I was asking the questions to prompt almost exactly the kind of thinking in your comment about the relationship between medium and value. As probably comes out in the videos, I would totally agree with you that there is a great deal of value, and a lot to be gained, in watching the plays through and across...
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That's great Rita - I'd not heard of Omnibus but I tracked down that production on YouTube and watched some of it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ybmKaPFhe4
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Rohan, you make such important points about different kinds of access issues here, thank you for sharing your experience!
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This is lovely Andreas! How fantastic that you all met on Future Learn - do you meet in person or only online? I'd love to know which platform you use to talk to each other?
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That sounds like a ideal location (especially the beer garden!)
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Shakespeare in the Bar sounds great Teri - thank you for sharing that link! Thanks also for the comments on the livestreaming, it's great to hear about experiences internationally, I hope you enjoy Merchant! I personally don't foresee livestreams going down in popularity, even if the attendance is fairly low, I think they still make financial sense for cinemas...
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I love that metaphor of a 'natural hyperlink' Raquel - that's a really interesting way to put it!
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That's amazing Cherlynn - the amount of work and hours that must have gone in to making those!
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Haha, I guess I envisaged it leading on from question one, so if the answer was yes, it is important to see live Shakespeare's plays live, then what might the problems be with that be? You are probably right on the academic agonising though, you'll have to forgive me for that! It's difficult to predict how people will answer things when you are setting...
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Hi all, sorry if that phrase is awkward! I think what I'm really asking is, what are the problems in seeing live performance as the 'best' or most 'authentic' way to access Shakespeare? Does that mean that people who can't access or don't enjoy watching Shakespeare live aren't having a valuable experience?
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I'm not aware of that story Deidre, it sounds interesting - I'll look it up, thanks for mentioning it!
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Hi Hilary, I think what I'm really asking is, what are the problems in seeing live performance as the 'best' or most 'authentic' way to access Shakespeare? Does that mean that people who can't access or don't enjoy watching Shakespeare live aren't having a valuable experience? (I hope that makes the question clearer, but do say if it's doesn't and I'll try and...
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Sorry for the mistake Janis - thank you for pointing it out, I think at the time I was nervously trying to remember everything I wanted to say, but it's good to be reminded to be careful about this! I hope you enjoy your trip to Stratford - I'm hoping to see the live broadcasts of those productions.
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I think this can be just as enriching and also, has the potential of opening up discussions about adaptation/media that are increasingly important! Do you ever participate in the RSC Live to Schools Broadcasts? (I'm always trying to find teachers who do this to find out what it's like!)
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I'll be watching too Mark, do let us know what you make of it!
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I love that your father used his version of Othello as a bedtime story! Do you remember if he changed the plot at all?
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That's absolutely fantastic, thank you so much Savvina! I can tell I'm going to enjoy looking through all of those blogs!
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Thank you for reminding me of that Blackadder sketch! I've found it on YouTube here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h--HR7PWfp0 - that version of Romeo and Juliet was also one of the first I saw, still one of my favourites!
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Hooray for grandparents! I did my undergraduate degree in Exeter, so know how difficult it can be to access plays there, once a theatre trip to Plymouth was thwarted because a storm had collapsed the train tracks - sometimes the barriers to access are actual physical barriers!
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Hi Anna and Liz, just thought I would link to that clip, which is available on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lWn99STB1o - early film Shakespeare's are really fascinating! Here's the actress Sarah Bernhardt playing Hamlet in 1899 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp_v_dP8s-8
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This is a really interesting and important point Alex - the recent debate about the casting of Sophie Okonedo in the latest Hollow Crown might be a good example of where screened Shakespeare was expected to be more historically 'authentic' (HUGE scare quotes around that word) than stage productions are expected to be. I love your point about potentially losing...
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I've also just found out that the Globe are livestreaming the final night of their Midsummer Night's Dream for free on Sunday evening (11th) - more info here: http://blog.shakespearesglobe.com/post/149974169673/a-midsummer-nights-dream-live-stream-exciting
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I'm also watching now - the ghost as a cheese grater is very apt I think!
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Yes Angela - I have the same problem with books! In agreement with you on the programmes too, I'm a hoarder of mementos and enjoy looking through my programmes from time to time. I've enjoyed some of the features on the NT Live digital programmes - I listened to an audio commentary through my headphone whilst watching an encore screening of the Donmar...
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Those records sound wonderful Barbara - I hadn't heard of them and will definitely look them up.
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Great cartoons, thank you for sharing the link Brian!
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What a wonderfully rich comment Savvina - I'm so interested in how social media played a part in your Shakespeare encounters - I'd love to check out the Tumblr blogs that you mention - would you be able to provide a link?
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I love this comment Joseph - the point that each medium has its own modes of participation, and is valuable in its own ways is great :)
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VR Shakespeare would be fascinating - and is increasingly likely as the technology gets cheaper, hopefully we'll be able to experience it soon!
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I agree, it's definitely a balancing act, especially when public funding is very low or non-existent. The Young+Free scheme is great, I'd love to see more schemes like that outside of London too!
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Hi Marion - the Complete Walk videos are available on the Globe Player here: https://www.globeplayer.tv/complete-walk I didn't manage to watch them all on the day, 12 hours is impressive!!
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This is a really important point, thank you! The type of theatre you are in, the kind of performance, and your own expectations definitely impact reception and I agree that the term 'theatre' is often used as a blanket term for all of these kinds of live performance - a reminder to me to be more nuanced!
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What a fantastic story! I've definitely had experiences where the live screening has been as engaging (and in some instances, more engaging) than being present at the live performance.
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That's a really good point Anna - the production itself is so important. And indeed - we are very lucky!
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I love the idea of your encounters being unplanned and incidental - I think this is a really important element of accessing Shakespeare, kind of accidentally coming across them, seeing things by chance rather than deliberately seeking productions and performances out - this is definitely a part of my own experience. The breadth of those encounters is also...
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This made me think about whether I had ever watched a Shakespeare play without first being familiar with the text itself and I can't recall a time that I have - I've certainly been surprised by moments in performances of plays that I had forgotten about. I'd be interested to know if anyone has a particularly memorable experience of watching a play they hadn't...
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Yes, this is really interesting Marie, whether we would count those other adaptive forms as completely different mediums, or if you would align say, watching an opera live with watching theatre live, or watching a ballet on DVD with watching an RSC production on DVD. The level of control over the performance is also really fascinating - perhaps when you can...
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I commented with this link elsewhere, but I thought some of you may be interested to watch Forced Entertainment's version of the Complete Works which they are livestreaming from 5pm-9pm (GMT) each evening until the 9th September, each 'play' lasts an hour and is narrated on a table top using household objects. You can watch here:...
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These are really great questions Olivia, I'm very interested in the different audience experiences in the theatre and on screen and how we might bring our previous experiences with different mediums into new experiences - when I go to the theatre now, I watch with eyes much more accustomed to watching screens. I would say that the countless adaptations and...
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Wonderful! I'm glad we alerted you to it - enjoy!
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Speaking of Forced Entertainment, they are live streaming their version of the Complete Works of Shakespeare (played by household objects - honestly, it is good!) each evening until the 9th September - it starts at 5pm (GMT) each evening - http://www.forcedentertainment.com/basel-livestream/
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YouTube is certainly quite policed in terms of copyright issues so most 'illegal' copies of the screenings do get taken down pretty quickly - some other parts of the internet don't seem so good at this! Copyright issues and how it impacts accessibility is a really interesting issue, especially in terms of the live screenings. NT Live, for example, doesn't...
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Most of the Globe productions are also available for download or rental here: https://globeplayer.tv/ - but also I'd be really interested to know if you prefer owning a physical copy - I still like having DVDs of the films I really love even though my laptop doesn't even have a DVD drive now and I don't own a television/DVD player - which seems absurd but I...
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Thank you for drawing my attention to that production Joseph - I've found it on YouTube in full here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qheHYn3rLY and it looks as though you can get a DVD copy from Amazon here https://www.amazon.com/Tempest-Television-Version-Starring-McDowall/dp/B00G4TWDJ2 (hopefully those both work wherever in the world you are and...
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Sounds like an amazing teacher! That version of Romeo and Juliet is one of my favourite films and changed my perception of Shakespeare - even though I didn't watch it probably until 10 years or so after it was released.
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I love your story of applauding the television on your own! Interestingly, I think that it is films I remember most vividly in my own Shakespeare encounters - maybe because I'm able to re-watch clips or because a striking image or moment sticks in the memory more easily. In the theatre I feel like I more vividly remember the 'eventness' of it - who I was with,...
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That's really interesting Mrinal - I also read Lamb's Tales as a child. The Indian version of Hamlet sounds great, I would love to see that.
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Hi Vaughan and Tricia, the live broadcasts are actually my main area of research so I'm glad that you commented (too much to fit into a 5 minute video!). They've certainly been really important in my own encounters with Shakespeare - I'd have seen a lot less Shakespeare without them! I'd be interested in what you think about the experience itself - do you...
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Fantastic both that she was interested, and that you are able to show her the scene on DVD - I'm impressed with the quotation skills, maybe an actress in the making! My own grandparents have been instrumental in developing my passion for Shakespeare and the theatre, even though it's not a primary interest of theirs (I now live with them so they can't escape it!)
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I agree Jan! I'd be interested to know what you make of the experience itself - what do you like/not like so much about seeing the play on screen, perhaps compared to the theatre?
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I love this Ian! Those vinyl recordings sound amazing, and a real testament to the impact that media (and not necessarily new media!) can have on our impressions of Shakespeare, and your great memory of the theatre shows how actually being able to visit the theatre can change our perception of it and spark a real interest - I think my teenage self would have...
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I really like your comparison between Macbeth and fairytales Jackie - we tend to forget that fairytales tend to be very dark sometimes! Macbeth was also one of the first plays that I studied at school and is still one of my favourites.
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That sounds like an excellent first experience of Shakespeare in the theatre - 'marathon' versions of Shakespeare seem to be very popular at the moment. You might be aware of this already, but the Globe has recordings of their plays available to rent or buy online (https://globeplayer.tv/) - I hope you realise your ambition to get there in person though!
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That's a great memory Jean - it took me a second to work out what you meant by 'walking in a crocodile'!
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This is a really interesting question Stan - many scholars have certainly been turning their attention to other authors in the period and to collaborative techniques for a while now in an attempt to readdress the balance, and we are starting to see this reflected in an increase of productions (from the RSC and the Globe for example) of 'not-Shakespeare'. As...
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Hi Liz - great to hear you're a big fan of the broadcasts! I look forward to discussing them with you in the activities this week and throughout the course - I hope it's an enjoyable and insightful experience!
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Hi Alex, I hope you enjoy the course - do check out the MA's in early modern literature that King's run, some of the material in the course is drawn from them and speaking from experience, they are great!
