September 2023

 … full of sound and fury... That will be my next tattoo. What do you think?

Ahem, That’s already in place. I’ve also added Shakespeare calling – the book and Though she be but little she is fierce. And in October I will add Out, out, brief candle!

 

And now, sadly, I repeat what I have repeated for far too long:

‘O war! thou son of hell’ O Putin! Thou son of hell! Our thoughts and support are still needed to the people of Ukraine, and the people of Russian who hate this war. Protest in any way you can! And don’t give up hope. ‘True hope is swift, and flies with swallow's wings.’

In this time of turmoil and hope I give you this familiar promo for the book Shakespeare calling – the book. Indie authors like me always need support, even now when book signings and lectures can again be scheduled. Only on the Internet can I reach people like you, who are interested in Shakespeare would like to support the Shakespeare Calling project. I do so hope you will help me by ordering the book online. Any sales I make of this book will go directly to Doctors without Borders for their work in Ukraine as long as the war lasts. Just let me know and I’ll send the money forthwith. You can also order directly from me. Just write me an email. Thank you.

Anyone from Ukraine – send me an email and I will send you the book free of charge.

The book is available for those of you in Great Britain and parts of Europe on this site:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/9163782626/ref=tmm_hrd_new_olp_sr?ie=UTF8&condition=new&qid=1514378301&sr=8-1

 

Also available on http://www.amazon.com/Shakespeare-Calling-book-Ruby-Jand/dp/9163782626/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1436073737&sr=1-1&keywords=Ruby+Jand+shakespeare+calling

Or in Sweden

http://www.bokus.com/bok/9789163782626/shakespeare-calling-the-book/

or Adlibris. Or contact the publisher info@vulkan.se

 

I would be thrilled to get an email from you if you bought the book. rubyjandshakespearecalling@gmail.com

 

Shakespeare sightings:

• In Laurie Halse Anderson’s The Impossible Knife of Memory the high school students are of course discussing Romeo and Juliet one of who describe it as ‘Slutty fourteen-year-olds and gang violence…everybody dies.’ Which pretty well sums it up. Lear and Shakespeare on stage are also mentioned. Do American high school students really study Shakespeare as much as it seems in YA novels?
• In Barbara Kingsolver’s latest (and brilliant) novel, Demon Copperhead, he found Mr Dick reading a book which ‘…had a name on it I’d heard of, Shakespeare. Dead, evidently.’
• In The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff the ‘band of brothers’ quote is used as a practice code for radio transmitters on their way to occupied France.
• In the film Spontaneous Combustion the high school teacher is in a teachers’ theatre group doing Shakespeare.
• In the novel The Measure by Nikki Erlick, the suicide of a young couple brings comparisons to Romeo and Julie

Films with a Shakespeare connection seen this month - see reviews on https://rubyjandsfilmblog.blogspot.com/

 

• 25^th Hour - Brian Cox is in Coriolanus, Prince of Jutland and King Lear.
• How to Kill Your Neighbour’s Dog – Branagh
• Iron Man - Robert Downey Jr is in Coriolanus, Richard III. Gwyneth Paltrow is in Shakespeare in Love. Clark Gregg is in Much Ado about Nothing.
• Proof - Gwyneth Paltrow is in Shakespeare in Love and John Madden directed it. Anthony Hopkins is in Titus and Othello.
• Aberdeen - Stellan Skarsgård is in Hamlet.
• Lonesome Jim - Casey Affleck is in Hamlet. Kevin Corrigan is in Cymbeline.
• Birdwatchers - Chiara Caselli is in My Own Private Idaho.
• The Terminal - Stanley Tucci is in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
• Waterland - Jeremy Irons is in The Hollow Crown, The Merchant of Venice. Sínead Cusack is in Twelfth Night. Ethan Hawke is in Cymbeline and Hamlet. David Morrissey is in The Hollow Crown. John Heard is in O. Pete Postlethwaite is in Romeo & Julia and Hamlet.
• Iron Man 3 - Robert Downey Jr is in Coriolanus, Richard III. Gwyneth Paltrow is in Shakespeare in Love. Ben Kingsley is in Twelfth Night.
• The Fifth Estate - Shakespeare connections: Benedict Cumberbatch is in Richard III. David Thewlis is in Macbeth.
• Judas Kiss - Emma Thompson is in Henry V and Much Ado about Nothing. Alan Rickman is in Romeo and Juliet.
• The United States of Leland - Michelle Williams is in A Thousand Acres.
• State of Play - Rachel McAdams is in Slings and Arrows. Ben Affleck is in Shakespeare in Love. Helen Mirren is in The Tempest, Prince of Jutland, Cymbeline, A Midsummer Night’s Dream
• Daybreakers - Ethan Hawkes is in Cymbeline, Hamlet

 

Further since last time:

• Now tattooed on my arms: … full of sound and fury... Shakespeare calling – the book and Though she be but little she is fierce. And in October I will add Out, out, brief candle!
• Saw with friends A&U – A Midsummer Night’s Dream

                     

Posted this month:

• Review of A Midsummer Night’s Dream Shakespeare Calling: Review A Midsummer Night's Dream (rubyjandshakespearecalling.blogspot.com)
• This report

Shakespeare Calling – the book is promoted by http://shakespearesallskapet.se/

 

Read more about my alter ego’s books, in one of which Shakespeare appears live and in person, on:

https://themerlinchronicles.wordpress.com/ruby-and-shakespeare/shakespeare-calling-the-book/

https://themerlinchronicles.wordpress.com/ruby-and-shakespeare/spoiler-merlin-and-shakespeare/

 

 

 

Review A Midsummer Night's Dream

 

A Midsummer Night’s Dream En midsommarnatts dröm

Scenkonst Sörmland, Teaterladan, Nynäs slott

Writer: Lucas Svensson

Director: Maria Weisby

Cast: Lars Bethke, Ingela Schale Berghagen, Mats Jäderlund, Ines Cherif, Anders Jacob, Thérèse Svensson, Lucas Carlsson, Dan Anderson (voice only, as Puck)

Seen with friends AB and UJ 6 August 2023 

 

To begin with I would like to say that I like remakes of Shakespeare’s plays. I usually like the actual productions but even when I don’t, I like the idea of adapting the plays to other times and situations.

 

This production takes place in the late 1930s. Hitler and war lurk in the background. Bottom and Helena are communists and the play is about class struggle. I understand the troupe’s  need to give the play relevance to our time but sadly, it doesn’t completely work. It becomes two plays with the war and class struggle, although relevant and important, a bit weaker than the Shakespeare bit. I hope they do a separate play about it and fix it up to be stronger.

 

There are good Swedish transations of Shakespeare but this isn’t one of them. I’m not even sure how much Shakespeare is actually used but the two best lines in the play, among the best lines in all of Shakespeare, ’What fools these mortals be,’ and ’though she be but little she is fierce,’ are not used at all. Bad decision.

 

Still, the Shakespeare bits are best. Helena (Svensson) and Bottom (Jäderlund) are good and Bethke is a fine Oberon. It works well not to have Puck appear on stage, only his voice, but I miss his last lines at the end. The scenography is good.

 

It’s worth seeing for Stockholmers who have a car and I applaud Scenkonst Sörmland’s effort.