Marquee TV Will Host Shakespeare Festival Weekend in Support of the Royal Shakespeare Company

Marquee TV will be celebrating the work of the Royal Shakespeare Company by showcasing a selection of performances from the Company's 2019/20 season. Over the weekend of 31 July - 2 August 2020, viewers can enjoy three outstanding productions that toured the UK to great acclaim: The Taming of the Shrew, As You Like It and Measure for Measure.

All three productions were due to tour internationally this year, but plans were abandoned due to the Covid-19 pandemic and visits to the United States, Seoul and Tokyo have had to be cancelled. The Shakespeare festival weekend on Marquee TV will provide a unique opportunity for global audiences to watch these innovative productions at a time when theatres worldwide are dark. All three performances will be available on the platform from Friday 31 July, and viewers will be able to join any one (or more!) of the weekend's watch-along events at 7:30pm BST each evening. These will be hosted on Marquee TV's social media channels (@MarqueeArtsTV) under the tag #ShakespeareFest.

These plays were chosen specifically by RSC Artistic Director Gregory Doran to sit together as they hold a mirror up to contemporary society. Doran said: "It's almost impossible to imagine: no Shakespeare productions on our stages this Summer. Shakespeare's plays were performed here throughout the Second World War, meaning they have been on our stages for the last 140 years in a nearly unbroken line. Whilst we look forward to a time when we can safely re-open our buildings to the public, we are delighted that Marquee TV can bring these fantastic productions to a global audience this summer while theatres everywhere remain closed to the public."

As You Like It production photos, 2019. Photo by Topher McGrillis (c) RSC

In this adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew, 1590's society is reimagined as a matriarchy. Directed by Justin Audibert, Shakespeare's energetic comedy of gender and materialism is turned on its head to offer a fresh perspective on its portrayal of hierarchy and power. 'Deftly provocative and exuberantly entertaining' (The Times), the performance was highlighted by the Evening Standard as a 'landmark production as women take charge.' Join the Taming of the Shrew watch-along: Friday 31 July, 7:30pm BST.

Escape into the Forest of Arden with As You Like It directed by Kimberley Sykes, featuring a sublime central performance from Lucy Phelps as a genuinely modern Rosalind. Gender twists abound in this fiendishly complex play; the decision to cast Jacques as a woman delights and makes some of Shakespeare's most famous speeches sound new again. Join the As You Like It watch-along: Saturday 1 August, 7:30pm BST.

Measure for Measure is directed by RSC Artistic Director Gregory Doran, who finds contemporary resonance in the 'problem play'. Set in early 1900s Vienna where promiscuity and puritanical law collide, this production unveils a shadowy world of repression and dubious morals which feels even more urgent today. Join the Measure for Measure watch-along: Sunday 2 August, 7:30pm BST.

Marquee TV has been working in partnership with the UK's leading arts organisations to showcase the best of the performing arts from around the globe, as well as continuing to build initiatives to support the industry throughout the pandemic and beyond.

"This has been one of the most challenging periods in history for arts and culture, particularly the performing arts sector. I'm pleased that through Marquee TV we've been able to help ensure that audiences are still exposed to this vital content of our much-loved institutions, many of which we are working with in hand in hand to build a more sustainable future model, in both the physical and virtual worlds," says CEO and Co-Founder Simon Walker

New subscribers can enjoy a 14-day free trial when signing up to Marquee TV. For the full programme visit www.marquee.tv

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