"You are welcome, take your place" - Introductions

[Lorannah]

Hi all,

Thought it would be a good idea to have a post where everyone can introduce themselves, so in my best Cilla voice - "Why don't you tell us where you're from and what your name is."

Any if you like, or fancy something a little less like an awkward blind date - here are some questions to help.


When was your first trip to the RSC/to an RSC production?

What has been your favourite show and why?

And what was it that hooked you and made you an RSC addict like us?


Enjoy

Lorannah

[Queen Mab]

Hello all!

Guess I'll go first.

I'm 25 and a new convert to theatre I guess, but I'm a fast learner. My first RSC production was Duchess of Malfi (2001ish - must check my ticket). I only went because my friends (who all took English Lit at A Level - I didn't) studied this in class and were going on a trip to see it. There were extra places, so I went. I didn't enjoy it. Of course, it was in the old RST and we were in the gallery... bad bad bad. Although according to the archives, Richard Armitage was in the cast. YUM.

I always enjoyed Shakespeare at school, to a point. Drearily reading it aloud in class and watching black and white films didn't really grab me. But other Shakespeare slowly filtered it's way into my life, through other films and things. Shakespeare In Love - genius!

Things changed when David Tennant and Patrick Stewart were announced for Hamlet. I couldn't pass this up. It changed my life. 5 Hamlet's later (as well as being heavily involved in campaigning for the film) and I was hooked. I'm a repeat offender when it comes to plays, I'll see things again and again if I like them (taking full advantage of the 16-25 tickets while I can) and you'll quite often find me in the queue at 8am.

In total I have seen:
5 x Hamlet (2008)
1 x Love's Labour's Lost (2008)
1 x Midsummer Night's Dream (2008)
1 x The Winter's Tale (2009)
2 x As You Like It (2009)
2 x The Drunks (2009)
1 x Twelfth Night (2009)
1 x Comedy of Errors (2009)
1 x King Lear (2010)
5 x Romeo and Juliet (2010)
1 x Le Morte d'Arthur (2010)

Oh, and I tweet. Find me at @_ophelia.

[missadventure]

Hiya. I'm not ashamed to say that I first really got into theatre almost 2 years to the day when I saw David Tennant as Hamlet at the RSC. But I have been brought up by a family who loves the theatre and music and watching anything live so I guess it was inevitable that one day I'd feel the same way! Since that summer of 2008 I have seen many plays - both professional and amateur. Not only that but I have been inspired to get into acting myself and will be in my fifth play this September and also will be co-directing a play in November.

Plays which I have seen at the RSC include Hamlet (3 times) Loves Labours Lost (twice) The Winters Tale, As You Like It, The Drunks, The Grainstore, Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet and Le Morte D-Arthur.

I have also attended a dance workshop at the Waterside space and was an extra in the We're Coming Home video earlier this year.

I'm @missadventure79 on Twitter xx

[Rosalind]

Hello

I've always loved the theatre----West End and Broadway where I saw the original La Cage Aux Folles ( helped having a nanny job where I was taken to New York for 10 weeks!!!!)

Didn't go to the RSC until 2006 where Patrick Stewart played Prospero in the Tempest. My son was studying it for his Y9 SATS so was very appropriate at the time. This was in the old RST and I was up in the circle.

I saw the 2007 production of Twelfth Night ----well I went January 2008 and was the first Talkback I attended.

Then it was announced David Tennant was to play Hamlet and as they say the rest is history.

I introduced my daughter to the RSC when she was 10 and took her to see the opening night of Midsummer's Night Dream which she loved. We had to go back later in the run.

I've seen all the plays shown since then--- more than once if I like them. We don't go in to how many times I saw Hamlet, LLL or Twelfth Night!!!

This season it's Romeo and Juliet I've seen quite a few times!!!

My son comes with me to see the non Shakespeare plays----The Drunks------he was over 16 in case you're wondering!!!, The Grain Store and MorteD'Arthur.

I also love going to other theatre productions as well as RSC.

I'm @antontroy on Twitter.

[Lorannah]

Phew - was starting to worry I'd be the first to post on here.

I'm also something of a late convert to the RSC. I've loved Shakespeare for as long as I can remember, despite my school's best efforts of making the very shy younger me read all the main parts, I was mostly Macbeth - all girls school. But I never actually associated with the theatre, most of what I saw was outdoors around some very beautiful locations in Gloucester. I still love the outdoors productions, as they're often incredibly inventive with the little they have - and they're the reason me and my best friend still giggle at the line "naked swords" (and why I always have one eye open for divebombing seagulls).

I did see one production of Midsummer Night's Dream in a theatre which was excellent and used masses of sellotape (also apparently starring Julian Bleach as Puck I now realises - which is cool).

But it wasn't until David Tennant was announced for Hamlet/Loves Labours Lost that I came to the RSC. Me and my friend did the two in a day right at the end of the run, adored it and obviously couldn't get tickets for anymore. But between the theatre and the Shakespeare and the quality I was hooked.

Then things got a bit weird - I got a job interview in Stratford-Upon-Avon and ended up moving to the city the day after that season ended (typical). I headed down to London to see Midsummer Night's Dream and since then haven't looked back. I was in Stratford for just over 18 months (have recently moved to London and given the upcoming transfer have decided the ensemble are stalking me) and the RSC was a major part of my life there, now I'm so hooked I keep heading back.

I'm also a repeat offender and have lost track of how many times I've seen some of the plays (whups), but I'll give it a go:

Loves Labours Lost x 1
Hamlet x 1
Midsummer Night's Dream x 1
Don John x 1
Romeo and Juliet (2009) x 1
The Tempest x 2
The Winter's Tale x 2 (with another next week)
As You Like It x 3 (also with another next week)
Julius Caesar x 2
The Drunks x 4 or 5 not sure
The Grain Store x 2
Oxygen/Late Night Young Russia x 2
YPS Comedy of Errors x 1
A host of Russian play readings
Twelth Night x 3
Arabian Nights x 2
King Lear x 3
Romeo and Juliet (2010) x 6, maybe 7
Anthony and Cleopatra x 2
Morte D'Arthur x 2 (with one more to come)
YPS Hamlet x 1

Currently can't wait for the Roundhouse season and am going to a ridiculous amount of theatre around London.

Lorannah

[BerownesTreehugger]

Hi ya, I’m Kristel and I’m 28 well for the next few days. I’m 29 on Saturday aagghh. Enough of that. Big time theatre fan and go as often as I can, or as often as I can afford and sometimes even that doesn't stop me. Fell in love with Stratford in 2008 after visiting to stalk sorry see David Tennant in Love's Labour's Lost (which I adored and you can probably tell that from my username) and Hamlet. Since then I have gone back time and time again to see all the plays the RSC have had on and to meet up with the lovely people I met while there. Head to Stratford on the 17th of August for 5 plays and I don't feel that’s enough. OK that's enough about me other than to say I’m from Dublin, Ireland and as you can tell i certainly have a gob for talking xxx

[sigmatheta]

Hi all

I'm Joe. My wife and I love the RSC. DT rekindled my interest and we've been going to Stratford regularly since Hamlet and LLL. My dad used to run school trips to Stratford where we'd go and camp in Teddington and see a few plays over the weekend.

My first RSC play was Twelfth Night in 1983. It was in the old RST theatre and there was a bloody big tree on stage. I can't remember everything I've seen there, but a few highlights included Kenneth Brannagh in Henry V, the 1950's set Merry Wives of Windsor, Juliette Stephenson as Rosalind in As You like It and a very bloody version of Titus Andronicus in the Swan.

I saw the Dillon in its second run. This was the play that took place in various locations in Stratford but started and finished at the Other Place. It was an incredible production and really felt like you'd taken part as an audience member.

Since Hamlet and Loves Labours Lost in 2008, we've been to see Taming of the Shrew and Midsummer Night's Dream in London at the Novello. It's nowhere near as exciting seeing stuff in a proscenium arch theatre though. We've also seen As You like It 2009, Twelfth Night 2009, King Lear 2010, Romeo and Juliet and Anthony and Cleopatra 2010. We're off to Stratford for a week on Saturday and will see AYLI again, Winters Tale and Julius Caesar. Can't wait!

[shelikeswaves]

Hello, hello! I'm Sophie, I'm 22, and I've been a Shakespeare fan pretty much as long as I can remember (thanks, Dad!). Despite having been raised on the Animated Tales and basically every film adaptation going, I didn't really see much straight theatre until I went to uni, and I didn't manage to get to the RSC until 2007, when I saw Ian McKellan's King Lear at the Theatre Royal in Newcastle (beautiful, beautiful theatre, oh my days). I get to as much theatre, and as much Shakespeare as I can, but the RSC has a special place in my heart, sigh. So, vital statistics:

1x King Lear (2007)
1x The Penelopiad (2007)
1x The Taming of the Shrew (2008)
1x Romeo & Juliet (2008)
1x Hamlet (2008)
1x Julius Caesar (2009)
1x Twelfth Night (2009)
1x Arabian Nights (2010)
2x Romeo & Juliet (2010)

I'm going on something of a binge in the next month, doing As You Like It, Lear, R&J (again - I have a Sam Troughton problem) and Morte d'Arthur. EXCITING TIMES.

I'm shelikeswaves on twitter, too :)

[Fluellen]

Hey y'all! I'm Jan, I'm 27, and I'm a relative newcomer to Shakespeare. We studied him at school (Romeo & Juliet and Macbeth; also I ended up being a Forest Lord in As You Like It one year), but I didn't really Get It. I didn't Get It, in fact, until Friday 26th October 2007, when I saw Henry V at the Courtyard. Suddenly, it ALL MADE SENSE TO ME, and I've been trying to make up for lost time ever since. XD

The RSC productions I have seen, in order:
Antony & Cleopatra (2007@Novello)
The Tempest (2007@Novello)
Henry V (2007@Courtyard)
The Comedy of Errors (2007, tour@Theatre Royal Bath)
King Lear (2007@New London)
Richard II (2008@Roundhouse)
Henry IV Part 1 (2008@Roundhouse)
Henry IV Part 2 (2008@Roundhouse)
Henry V (2008@Roundhouse)
Henry VI Part 1 (2008@Roundhouse)
Henry VI Part 2 (2008@Roundhouse)
Henry VI Part 3 (2008@Roundhouse)
Richard III (2008@Roundhouse)
Love's Labour's Lost (2008@Courtyard)
Hamlet (2008@Courtyard)
Hamlet (2008/9@Novello; once w/Tennant, twice w/Bennett)
A Midsummer Night's Dream (2009@Novello)
Othello (2009, tour@Hackney Empire)
The Taming of the Shrew (2009@Novello)
Julius Caesar (2009@Courtyard)
The Winter's Tale (2009@Courtyard)
Twelfth Night (2009@Courtyard)
Morte d'Arthur (2010@Courtyard)
Antony and Cleopatra (2010@Courtyard)

... I've been working VERY HARD to make up for lost time. I'll be heading back to Stratford for King Lear and Romeo and Juliet in August (with my dad; a somewhat amusing duo of plays for a father and daughter to see together! XD), then I'll be back for last year's As You Like It in September. I also hope to catch at least one at the Roundhouse, just because it's my happy place. Am currently leaning towards The Winter's Tale but I'm flexible. Guess it helps that I'll have already seen all the ones I'll want to have seen by then. XD

The RSC production of Henry V literally changed my life. Before that day, I was all "hey, musicals are awesome, plays can sometimes be good, what's that Shakespeare fella all about?". Now I'm all "yeah, musicals are fine, plays are great, HEY IS THAT A SHAKESPEARE?! AWESOME! ". I'm also quite the afficionado of the Globe, and am only eight plays away from having seen every play at least once (including Two Noble Kinsmen, which I understand a lot of people don't).

I spend a ton of time going to the theatre for all sorts of non-Shakespeare productions too, and I like performing too. I'm currently playing Agatha in Guys and Dolls (not the biggest role, but I'm enjoying her :3), I was a musician for a fantastic production of Twelfth Night this summer, and I nearly got to play Camillo in The Winter's Tale, although we unfortunately had to abandon the production when we couldn't find a Florizel. Still, if The Winter's Tale had gone ahead, then I wouldn't have been able to go to the ENO/Punchdrunk Duchess of Malfi, so at least I had a fine consolation prize in my disappointment. :3 I also read a freakin' TON. Children's books, genre fiction, travel writing, biography, history, and a whole mess of plays.

Also, I too tweet. Look for Fluellen, if you don't mind rambly ramblings about theatre, occasional bursts of tremendously foul language, and regular ukulele discussion (with myself). :3

[danielwhit]

Hello - Daniel - 19, Oxford. (Future) Stage Manager at the healm.

Seeing as it seems everyone is listing what they have seen.. my list is minimal but I feel I should join the club!

1 x Hamlet (2008, @novello)
1 x Midsummer Night's Dream (2008, @novello '09)
2 x Othello (2009, @oxfordplayhouse)
1 x As You Like it (2009, @courtyard)
1 x Twelfth Night (2009, @courtyard)
1 x Romeo & Juliet (2010, @courtyard)
1 x King Lear (2010, @courtyard)
1 x Antony & Cleopatra (2010, @courtyard)
Already booked:
1 x Julius Caesar (2009, @courtyard '10)
1 x Morte D'Arthur (2010, @courtyard)

Planning on getting to see A Winter's Tale at the Roundhouse, and likely Lear again.

Also, believe me I am regretting seeing Othello twice! It wasn't actually that good, and if it wasn't for me studying it for A-Levels at the time (1st personal visit was booked before school announced their trip) I certainly wouldn't have!

I tend to see much more in the way of musicals these times than plays. That said, I tend to work on plays more than musicals (SMing Antony & Cleopatra in Oxford earlier this month, for example).

Twitter: danielwhit - usually musical ramblings, or bemoaning about my useless bus service!

[Touchstone]

Hey there. Joanne from Sydney, Australia.
Well, due to the rather long commute I've only seen one RSC production - but what a one to start with! (David Tennant Hamlet 2008 Courtyard). Sadly I had to leave before LLL started.
But I am returning soon for the last night of AYLI at the Courtyard with Queen Mab. And I have a few of the audio's too, and of course the DVD of Hamlet.
I've always liked Shakespeare, even at school when they tried to suck the life out of it, and I think the first live performance I saw was a Sydney Theatre Company schools production of Henry IV Part 1. One of my degree majors was Theatre Studies, so I got to work on a few productions ( although the only one I remember is The Scottish Play) but never got to perform in any Shakespeare myself.
Now in Sydney we have The Bell Shakespeare Company performing regularly, but for a long time it was pretty much just the odd visiting company and the annual Midsummer Nights Dream in the Botanical Gardens. We really only have 2 or 3 large theatres here, so there's not a lot on at any one time.
So when I travel I make the most of it. Last year in London I saw 8 shows ( two of them Shakespeare at the Globe). And I've seen a few shows in NY over the years too, mostly musicals.
The last thing I saw was Calendar Girls, which was surprisingly moving! And I'm off to see Stephen Fry tonight.

[Lorannah]

Hello everyone and welcome! So many cool people. I've been loving reading all the responses to this thread.

Jul 27, 2010 10:18:04 GMT Rosalind said:

Didn't go to the RSC until 2006 where Patrick Stewart played Prospero in the Tempest. My son was studying it for his Y9 SATS so was very appropriate at the time. This was in the old RST and I was up in the circle.

Wow. I’d love to have seen that.

Jul 27, 2010 10:45:06 GMT BerownesTreehugger said:

Hi ya, I’m Kristel and I’m 28 well for the next few days. I’m 29 on Saturday aagghh. Enough of that. Big time theatre fan and go as often as I can, or as often as I can afford and sometimes even that doesn't stop me. Fell in love with Stratford in 2008 after visiting to stalk sorry see David Tennant in Love's Labour's Lost (which I adored and you can probably tell that from my username) and Hamlet. Since then I have gone back time and time again to see all the plays the RSC have had on and to meet up with the lovely people I met while there. Head to Stratford on the 17th of August for 5 plays and I don't feel that’s enough. OK that's enough about me other than to say I’m from Dublin, Ireland and as you can tell i certainly have a gob for talking xxx

Happy Birthday for Saturday! It’s awesome to see people coming from further away to see the plays, me and a friend were discussing that this season it’s been more difficult to get a stretch of all the plays together rather than doing multiple trips, which is a shame. But still worth it. Plus I’d definitely agree that Stratford and the people are a draw too. Not to mention the Duck.

Jul 27, 2010 11:32:04 GMT sigmatheta said:

My first RSC play was Twelfth Night in 1983. It was in the old RST theatre and there was a bloody big tree on stage. I can't remember everything I've seen there, but a few highlights included Kenneth Brannagh in Henry V, the 1950's set Merry Wives of Windsor, Juliette Stephenson as Rosalind in As You like It and a very bloody version of Titus Andronicus in the Swan. I saw the Dillon in its second run. This was the play that took place in various locations in Stratford but started and finished at the Other Place. It was an incredible production and really felt like you'd taken part as an audience member.

Very jealous – those sound like some amazing productions, would have loved to have seen them. It’s great to have something of an expert on the board.

Jul 27, 2010 17:16:06 GMT shelikeswaves said:

I didn't manage to get to the RSC until 2007, when I saw Ian McKellan's King Lear at the Theatre Royal in Newcastle (beautiful, beautiful theatre, oh my days). I get to as much theatre, and as much Shakespeare as I can, but the RSC has a special place in my heart, sigh. I'm going on something of a binge in the next month, doing As You Like It, Lear, R&J (again - I have a Sam Troughton problem) and Morte d'Arthur. EXCITING TIMES.

I’d imagine Ian McKellan was amazing in King Lear and got to agree that Sam Troughton’s been pretty spectacular this season.

Jul 27, 2010 19:29:48 GMT Fluellen said:

... I've been working VERY HARD to make up for lost time. I'll be heading back to Stratford for King Lear and Romeo and Juliet in August (with my dad; a somewhat amusing duo of plays for a father and daughter to see together! XD)

I’ve loved the running thread through a lot of the plays chosen for the ensemble, of the relationship between fathers and daughters – it’s been fascinating to see the development of Shakespeare’s ideas about the subject.

Jul 27, 2010 19:29:48 GMT Fluellen said:

The RSC production of Henry V literally changed my life. Before that day, I was all "hey, musicals are awesome, plays can sometimes be good, what's that Shakespeare fella all about?". Now I'm all "yeah, musicals are fine, plays are great, HEY IS THAT A SHAKESPEARE?! AWESOME! ". I'm also quite the afficionado of the Globe, and am only eight plays away from having seen every play at least once (including Two Noble Kinsmen, which I understand a lot of people don't). Also, I too tweet. Look for Fluellen, if you don't mind rambly ramblings about theatre, occasional bursts of tremendously foul language, and regular ukulele discussion (with myself). :3

I had a similar experience, was all about the musicals for a while and then after seeing Hamlet/LLL plays have really blossomed for me – moving to Stratford definitely helped. Now I’m doing a mixture of the two – it was all plays last week (one in Korean) and musicals this week. Just started at the Globe, saw Troilus and Cressida last season and have four booked for the end of the summer. Sadly couldn’t get into Macbeth.

Also yay! Ukuleles! I love them, they always make me feel melancholy and sad – which was sort of strange when I heard someone play a great version of Lady GaGa’s Paparazzi on one a few weeks ago.

Jul 27, 2010 23:02:21 GMT danielwhit said:

I tend to see much more in the way of musicals these times than plays. That said, I tend to work on plays more than musicals (SMing Antony & Cleopatra in Oxford earlier this month, for example).

I love musicals too, what are your favourites? I’m loving Hair at the moment and will be sad to see it go soon.

Jul 28, 2010 3:06:38 GMT Touchstone said:

Hey there. Joanne from Sydney, Australia. Well, due to the rather long commute I've only seen one RSC production - but what a one to start with! (David Tennant Hamlet 2008 Courtyard). Sadly I had to leave before LLL started.

But I am returning soon for the last night of AYLI at the Courtyard with Queen Mab. And I have a few of the audio's too, and of course the DVD of Hamlet.

So when I travel I make the most of it. Last year in London I saw 8 shows ( two of them Shakespeare at the Globe). And I've seen a few shows in NY over the years too, mostly musicals.

I bless my lucky stars to live so close to so much theatre, but how awesome that you make all that effort. And definitely a good show to kick off with. Completely understand what you mean about making the most of it, before I lived in London I’d come down for a few days or a week and be squeezing in every show I could – two or three a day sometimes. Never get tired of the theatre.

I’ll be at the last AYLI too – will have to say hello, I’m taking my mum for our birthday.

[danielwhit]

Jul 28, 2010 11:54:22 GMT Rosalind said:

I love musicals too, what are your favourites? I’m loving Hair at the moment and will be sad to see it go soon.

Asking me to name favourite musicals is really opening up a can of worms! I'm seeing Hair tomorrow, haven't ever seen it before so I have little idea what I will make of it.

I'm quite disappointed that Sister Act and Avenue Q are closing, both on the same day and that I can't get anywhere near London for their closing weeks! Blood Brothers and Phantom are firm favourites, then you add in a splash of Mamma Mia for warm fun and a dose of Wicked with a sprinkling of Legally Blonde and you have a very bizarre (but enjoyable) musical fruit cake.

[Lorannah]

Jul 28, 2010 12:12:58 GMT danielwhit said:

Asking me to name favourite musicals is really opening up a can of worms! I'm seeing Hair tomorrow, haven't ever seen it before so I have little idea what I will make of it.

I'm quite disappointed that Sister Act and Avenue Q are closing, both on the same day and that I can't get anywhere near London for their closing weeks! Blood Brothers and Phantom are firm favourites, then you add in a splash of Mamma Mia for warm fun and a dose of Wicked with a sprinkling of Legally Blonde and you have a very bizarre (but enjoyable) musical fruit cake.

Quite a mix. Actually I find that with musicals I tend to love a wide variety of things, it's one of the cool things about them. I saw a strange one yesterday which was a bit like seeing kinky fanfiction on stage with singing. But quite beautiful all the same and I've got another new one on Friday composed by Michael Bruce who I think is great.

Avenue Q has been a firm favourite of mine for the last five or six years and I'm going to miss it terribly, though a uk tour is being rumoured. It's one of my real happy places.

Love Blood Brothers too - not sure about the last production I saw in London - but have been lucky to see some awesome ones in Liverpool. And haven't seen Phantom for years, though have been singing it to myself lately for no reason I can fathom. I'm avoiding Love Never Dies as I'm one of those weird Raoul fans and think just on that basis it's probably not for me.

And Wicked's fab obviously, taking a friend for the first time in a few weeks. Yay!

Haven't seen the others yet - though want to catch Sister Act before it closes and Legally Blonde before Sheridan Smith finishes.

Totally know what you mean about last nights too - was planning to go to the Hair one, but they've brought it forwards to the date that I'm taking Mum to As You Like It (sort of the last night). Grrr....

[Queen Mab]

Jul 28, 2010 11:54:22 GMT Lorannah said:

I’ll be at the last AYLI too – will have to say hello, I’m taking my mum for our birthday.

Jo and I will of course be Ducking, so we'll see you during the day/after. I'd forgotten you were doing all three that day! Sadly I dont think Jo can make it for 10am for CoE.