The forgotten masterpiece that helped shape the modern English language Life&Style As our new Education Secretary rethinks how we learn about language, Eliot Wilson on one of the most forgotten and seminal English texts Five hundred years ago this year, the first copies of an English translation of the New Testament appeared in London. The brilliant young theologian and linguist William Tyndale, then studying in Germany, [...]
A Midsummer Night’s Dream review: Fairy punk production doesn’t quite take flight Life&Style A Midsummer Night's Dream is given a Last Dinner Party makeover complete with a punk fairy band, but it doesn't fully capture the magic.
Much Ado About Nothing at the Globe: A silly, frilly production Life&Style This production of Much Ado at Shakespeare's Globe is all light, no shade; it's up to you if you really care, writes Anna Moloney.
The princes in the tower: History is not a whodunnit December 4, 2024 A new documentary claiming to have ‘solved’ the mystery of the princes in the tower misses the point entirely. History is a record of what happened, not a morality play, says Eliot Wilson Last night Channel 5 broadcast the enticingly titled Princes in the Tower: A damning discovery. It combined the promise of historical revelation [...]
David Oyelowo in Coriolanus review: Too much muscle, too much music September 26, 2024 Muscles do not a character make, though many men forget this. Sadly David Oyelowo's Coriolanus at the National Theatre is one of them
The Taming of the Shrew: Weirdness doesn’t solve the problem of misogyny June 19, 2024 Any director bold enough to tackle Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew is faced with a pretty big problem. The plot – and title – depicts a headstrong woman who is “tamed” by a man into submissiveness. Whatever the Bard’s intention, his script plays on the dichotomy between two sisters – one perfectly docile, the [...]
The Debate: Is Shakespeare elitist? April 24, 2024 To celebrate the Bard's birthday, our opinion desk and lifestyle desk go head to head to battle out Shakespeare's enduring legacy.