October 2011 Archives

As conspiracy theorists continue to claim William Shakespeare did not write his famous works — with a film on the subject released today — Professor Stanley Wells explains why we should all have faith in the man from Stratford-upon-Avon

I’m sorry to see two of the finest Shakespeare actors of our time, Derek Jacobi and Mark Rylance, biting the hand and the fingers that have fed them for many years by leading a campaign to disprove Shakespeare’s authorship of the plays that have given them so many opportunities to display their genius.

Their support for Roland Emmerich’s film Anonymous, which opens in UK cinemas today and which portrays the greatest writer of all time as a drunken, illiterate buffoon, is only the most recent episode in this campaign.

A few weeks ago, I went to the cinema. Before the film that I had paid to see started (Rise of the Planet of Apes, since you ask) and after I’d shelled out on some popcorn and a soft drink, I watched half a dozen adverts followed by half a dozen trailers for forthcoming features. Of the movies shown in those trailers, I have since already been back to the cinema to see one and intend to go and see one more in the near future, having learned about both for the first time from their trailers.

And I’m clearly not alone. A recent Mintel survey showed that a third of cinemagoers claim trailers (shown in cinemas or TV) are a big influence on choosing what film they watch, with a further half saying they have some influence. In other words, trailers are effective - to some degree - on four out of five cinemagoers. That is much more effective than reviews - whether on TV or in print - or print advertising. The only category that is more effective is word of mouth/recommendation from friends.

It strikes me that there’s a lot theatre can learn from cinema in this respect.

Stage columnist Richard Jordan writes: Michael Boyd leaves the Royal Shakespeare Company in a far more robust position than when he inherited it as artistic director nine years ago and has created big shoes to fill.

Boyd’s logical successor is the RSC’s current chief associate director Gregory Doran.

Responsible for some of the company’s most successful productions, Doran knows the company inside out, showing the ability to successfully marry the academic and populist together in his productions, which could be particularly valuable at this time of change.