Jubilee

Synopsis

Set in eighteenth century London and Stratford-Upon-Avon, Jubilee mischievously satirises the founding of the whole Shakespeare industry. In 1769, when David Garrick staged the first theatre festival to celebrate the life of Statford's most famous son, little did he realise the impact this would have on the future livelihood of the small and irreverent new comedy dissects the cult of the theatrical personality from Shakespeare to Garrick and with a few recognisable modern-day characters thrown in.

Our Review:

27 July 2001

Note: This review dates from July 2001 and the production's original run in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Peter Barnes's new play Jubilee tells the story of how in 1769 the distinguished actor David Garrick organised a celebration at Stratford-upon-Avon to mark the bicentenary of Shakespeare's birth - five years late! This festival began the transformation of Stratford from sleepy market town to busy tourist centre and of Shakespeare from minor poet to major money-spinner.

As you would expect from a writer like Barnes and a director like Gregory Doran, this is no simple narrative but a biting satire using a kaleidoscope of theatrical styles. It's very funny indeed as it sends up everyone who exploits Shakespeare for commercial gain - the council and citizens of Stratford, theatre directors, actors and academics - but reserves its most savage barbs for theatre managers and critics. On a more profound level, though this...

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