"Looking further forward, RSC artistic director Michael Boyd revealed that the company’s 50th anniversary season, from April 2011 onwards, would feature a series of the RSC’s “greatest hits” - revivals of famous RSC productions from the last half century."

That could be just about the best idea I have ever heard for a season ... or the worst .... not sure. So, come one then, what would you like to see revived ? There does not seem much point reviving their most famous productions, like the Paul Scofield "King Lear" or the McKellen "Macbeth" without the leads.

What would work best are "high concept" productions which had a strong concept/setting but no overwhelming star performance. I'd like to see the John Barton Indian Raj "Much Ado" for example.

I'd be VERY reluctant to see a revival with a new cast of a great production I'd already seen, so doing some of the very old productions (> 25 years) again would be best for me.

Well, they'd be unlikely to bag Ralph Fiennes again, or David Morrissey, but The Plantagenets would, I'm sure, work very well with a new ensemble.

Please may we have the Midsummer Night's Dream with McCabe as Puck and the gum chewing, Doc Martin boot wearing, pull on wings fairies? I don't know whether it would work these days but it was one of the very best Shakespeares I've seen. Not sure of the year but maybe early eighties.

AND if possible the Comedy of Errors that started off the whole 'musical' trend, the one with Judi Dench and Michael Williams [ so sadly need new cast member there tho Judi could prob hack it still ] and the very comical T shirt scenario. It was '76 I think. The funniest thing I have ever seen on the main stage there.

And would be happy to see again the more recent Much Ado with Tamsin Greig, the Cuban one.

Oh yes, perfect idea.

It seems these revivals will be directed by the existing team (Boyd, Farr, Doran, Goold (?)). Doran is close to John Barton so I imagine he could revive his Indian "Much Ado" I mentioned above.

I wonder what Boyd will take - he's not a natural for comedy.

Oh, it's a tricky one. I mean, there are productions I've loved (oh hi there, Histories Cycle) and productions I've never seen that I would give anything to go back in time to see (oh hey, 2004 Hamlet), but a big attraction of these productions for me is the cast. I'm sure I could learn to love new cast members, but a part of me would always sorrow for the originals.

That said, I'd still like to see the 2004 Hamlet regardless. I want a proper scary ghost, and I've never seen a period-dress Hamlet before.

very interesting idea and one, of course, that people have been crying out for for years!

however - how are they going to do Adrian Noble's "Dream" (or, for my money, "Winters Tale") without Mr Noble?? doesn't he "own" the Intellectual Property to that production?? interesting.

Ian Judge's "Comedy of Errors", of course the Plantagenets, Matthew Warchus' "Hamlet", Steven Pimlotts "Camino Real" - i could go on...i'm sure others will....

This has been widely discussed in the RSC shop, except we were discussing what they should re-open the Swan with.

My personal list would be:

- Adrian Noble's 1995 Dream with Alex Jennings and Stella Gonet
- In an ideal world Robert Stephens/Adrian Noble King Lear from 1993 (have to find a different actor I realise)
- Steven Pimlott's Richard II and Camino Reale
- The 1993 Love's Labour's Lost
- Toby Stephens in Coriolanus from 1995
- Don Carlos from 1999
- Oroonoko

But most of all and top of my list would have to be the play that still haunts me to this day, David Edgar's Pentecost.

It's the 50th anniversary season so they will (I assume) revive stuff from the whole 50 years - we need the old stagers here to choose from the early years. I suppose they will ask the orginal directors for permission. If they omitted a Peter Hall production it would be ungracious and maybe Peter Brook too (they wouldn't dare revive his "Dream" though ?). How about the famous Peter Hall "Coriolanus" with Olivier ? But which modern actor would have enough self-confidence to even consider stepping into (and flinging himself out of) Olivier's shoes ? (Well, Antony Sher excepted ... I know ...)

I would have thought an absolute shoo-in was that famous Bill Alexander "Merry Wives" which was set in the 1950's - round about the year the RSC started. It was pretty good. There is a nice little reminder of it in the first paragraph here: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb06...0/ai_n29326684/

Forgot to mention the key other key production, though am sure people will argue and disagree with me about this:

Three Hours After Marriage from 1996, showed the Swan off to the best of its ability, and left me helpless in the aisle.

And yes, Jan I agree with you, we need some old timers to discuss the older stuff. My personal wish list from that far back would include some of their premieres like The Devils and the Pinters they did.

Yes, yes, yes...that Three Hours After marriage was splendid and would be great in the Swan again;I too was breathless with mirth. Also agree with Pentecost..why hasn't that been revived anyway somewhere?

What a fun thread.. incidentally please be careful with the 'old timers' label.

I liked the Cuban 'Much Ado', and also the Doran production with Harriet Walter, very much but my favourite remains the Terry Hands one with Jacobi and Cusack.

I hope they find room for some of the Jacobean repetoire - I'm still kicking myself that I missed the production of 'Women Beware Women' with Penelope Wilton a few years back.

I wouln't be surprised if the RSC run their own poll on this, as the Royal Court did for its recent anniversary.

Anyway, an enormous amount is going to depend on who they cast in whatever they decide to revive.

The original press release says:

"2011 is the 50th anniversary of the RSC and celebrations will include major revivals of contemporary classics premiered by the company over the last half century."

Not classic Shakespeare, in other words, but more like Pinter's The Homecoming.

O not so much fun then.

Heyyy, maybe we'll get another bash at Carrie!

In that case I'm starting the Pentecost petition here and now, also:

The Lieutenant of Inishmore
The Prisoner's Dilemma
Singer

Interestingly I was having a conversation with a lady at the National about The Shape of the Table, and they were not aware that it formed the start of a trilogy.

If Inishmore is the one about the lost cat ...then yes, that one too.

Definitely the Jacobi/Krige "Cyrano" from Jacobi's vintage couple of years and the Tony Sher Richard III - Sher could probably still do it as well!!

Seb

EDIT Just saw the clause relating to CONTEMPORARY classics. Both my choices down the drain then!

Oh no !!! Then who cares ?

Woiuldn't mind seeing "Poppy" again. I quite enjoyed Peter Nichols "Passion Play" too.

Well, can we ask for Nicolas Nickelby? It was a huge hit and sadly I missed it in its original form and then again when they brought it back in London but it would be great on a new stage and they could do whole Saturdays with 2 or 3 parts.

I sort of agree (I did see it in one of the later RSC productions), but they warmed it up recently at Chichester so I'm not that sure the RSC would want to do it again.

I'd quite like to see "Softcops" by Caryl Churchill again - I bet I'm the only one here who saw it originally, a brilliant Howard Davies production.

I loved Poppy and would also make a bid for Educating Rita and Piaf (even though the latter has been revived recently, that will be a distant memory by 2011).

And I realise I'm one of the few that liked Carrie. I still have the programme with Barbara Cook and Gene Anthony Ray starring.

I saw it recently referred to as "The RSC's inexplicable production of Carrie".