Cardenio

Synopsis

?In 1611, a play was submitted to censor with no definitive author. Several characters were unnamed and there was no title. The plots within were adapted from episodes of Cervantes' Don Quixote, and in the 1990s, the palaeographer Charles Hamilton attested that this play was the lost Shakespeare, Cardenio. This is an indelible and disturbing play that deals with obsession, amorality, suspicion and, ultimately, revenge.'

Our Review:

Simon Tavener - 28 April 2011

The chance to see a new Shakespeare play – even one where the authorship is the subject of much heated academic debate – is a rare treat for the average theatregoer. When it’s delivered in fine style in an exceptionally accomplished production by the Royal Shakespeare Company, you know you’re in for something really rather special.

Whether or not this Cardenio is derived from something that’s authentically Shakespearean or is rather more of a well-constructed later pastiche does not really matter. It delivers a satisfying evening in the theatre. There are elements that echo narrative strands and characters from plays as diverse as Cymbeline and King Lear and overall I found it a close cousin to All's Well That Ends Well. Putting the question of the provenance of the text, what should really matter is that director Gregory Doran and his team have pulled together something that is fresh (whilst remaining fami...

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Latest User Review

Mark Bridge - 22 September 2011:

Lucy Briggs-Owen reminded me of the very young Maggie Smith. Oliver Rix is a great discovery but Alex Hassell stole the show with a stunning performance. I loved every minute of it. (me? - 50 years at Stratford and still going) ...

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