Is Shakespeare a Millstone Round Our Necks???

Directors and playwrights will battle it out about the merits - or not - of Shakespeare with a debate at the Menier Chocolate Factory in Southwark tonight (Friday 19 September 2005), under the no-nonsense title “Shakespeare is a millstone round the neck of British culture.” Proposing the motion is Adriano Shaplin, founder of the Fringe First-winning Riot Group, whose Switch Triptych is currently at Soho, and teacher of acting at Berkeley University California. He’s joined by Observer columnist and writer Miranda Sawyer. Opposing the motion is Michael Boyd, artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, alongside playwright and actor Kwame Kwei-Armah. The meeting will be chaired by journalist Rachel Halliburton. In the anti-Shakespeare corner, the motion’s champions say the Shakespeare industry not only promotes widespread national self-delusion but also swells the coffers of chintzy tour operators, provides unlimited material for hack directors and fosters legions of socially inadequate academics. Well, what will Boyd say to that?! The hour-long forum kicks off with drinks at 6.00pm, with the debate itself starting at 6.30pm. The debate is organised by Soap Box, a new forum intended to tackle the big issues in society and the arts.

Got some goss? Contact gossip@whatsonstage.com

Related Content