44 replies to this topic

[Jan Brock]

Gordon Brown's progress from Shakespearean tragedy into the Greek variety prompts me to ask which role he could usefully be cast in. He'd be terrific as John Gabriel Borkmann, or Timon of Athens. As for Cameron and Clegg how about Antipholus of Syracuse and Antipholus of Ephesus ? Vince Cable is a natural for Polonius.

[Lynette]

Brown..hmmm Claudius in Hamlet? That on the surface smiley stuff that chills you to the bone. Cameron so well intentioned, so maybe Pandarus and Clegg, a bit of an Edgar, a good guy but ineffective. Just ideas - please shoot down.

[Cathryn]

Brown..hmmm Claudius in Hamlet? That on the surface smiley stuff that chills you to the bone. Cameron so well intentioned, so maybe Pandarus and Clegg, a bit of an Edgar, a good guy but ineffective. Just ideas - please shoot down.

It'd be a cliche, but Brown as Macbeth?  Though I quite like Brown really.  Whatever, that face for radio shouldn't be on the stage.

[MrsDoyle]

Surely he's more suited to farce after yesterday?

[Weez]

Oh please, which of us in a position involved in dealing with the public has NEVER been polite to someone's face then complained about them privately to a co-worker? I'm not making any judgements on the bigotry levels of Mrs Duffy, but I do think Golden Brown has been excessively raked over the coals on this. (My sister disagrees on this; perhaps if I type that, she'll GO AWAY AND LET ME THINK ABOUT AN ON-TOPIC REPLY!)

I quite like the thought of Brown as Timon of Athens, but I don't see me sticking around for the second half. Can anyone else see Paxo as Apemantus?

As for Clegg... problem is, we're not far enough into the Clegg story to be able to cast him successfully at this point. I might go with young Fortinbras for now and see how it goes. I do like Cable as Polonius, and that ties in rather well!

I would agree with Cameron as Pandarus, but I see Pandarus as a creepy Troilus-loving pimp, not a well-intentioned romantic. I suppose if you want to riff on the Cameron and Clegg being similar theme, then Cameron as Edmund and Clegg as Edgar.

I'm going to go away and think about this thoroughly. I rather feel this thread is going to reveal more about our personal politics than our Shakespeare opinions.

[fairycake]

It'd be a cliche, but Brown as Macbeth? Though I quite like Brown really. Whatever, that face for radio shouldn't be on the stage.

Harriet Harman as Lady M?

[Weez]

Having gone away and thought about it, I think Nick Clegg as Don Pedro. A very nice guy, by all accounts pretty competent and successful, but ultimately no victory.

[Jan Brock]

Peter Mandelson as Richard II

Boris Johnson as Falstaff, Cameron as Prince Hal.

Brown's tragedy was essentially Shakespearian to start off with, brought down by his own character flaws, but now it is really Greek with the Gods conspiring to bring him down through arbitrary bad luck (microphone left on by mistake, TV camera unexpectedly on) etc. It is really theatrical.

[fairycake]

Doctor Faustus

Faustus - Gordon Brown

Mephastophilis - Mandelson

Valdes and Cornelius - Blair & Campbell

Helen of Troy -  ??????