All is Mended...

The Royal Shakespeare Company are marking the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death with a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, featuring various different amateur companies playing the Mechanicals and local school children as the fairies.  I went to see the first leg of their ten venue tour in Newcastle on Monday and thoroughly enjoyed it, particularly Lucy Ellinson's performance as Puck.  There's something  liberating about hearing Shakespeare in a regional accent - especially one's own! - and it helps to break down the 'elitist' barrier a little more.  See the trailer for this production on the RSC's website.

Lucy Ellinson and Chu Omabala as Puck and Oberon

Although the RSC used Northern Stage's theatre (formerly the Newcastle Playhouse) rather than the Theatre Royal, there were a few Bensonian links.  The Bensons used to stay at the Grand Hotel in Newcastle's Haymarket - now Blackwell's University bookshop - which is virtually next door to the playhouse and their 'fairy band' was also populated by local children, drilled by the actor playing Puck - who was usually a woman.

This week in 1912, the Company were appearing at the New Theatre Royal Portsmouth, the first of a two week season of Rep which included Dream.  The theatre has recently reopened after a major rebuild which has taken three years. A mixture of Phipps and Matcham architecture, this is how it looked in Benson's day:

Closed for many years as a theatre, it was used by Ken Russell for the film 'The Boyfriend' before fire, theft and vandalism brought it to the brink of demolition.

Filming 'The Boyfriend' in 1972

 Purchased by the New Theatre Royal Trust in the 1980s it came back into use as a theatre in 1984 and now has Grade II* listing.  So lovely to see a theatre come back from the brink!  It's on my bucket list...

We few...

Today being Remembrance Sunday, it seems appropriate to remember those members of the Benson Company who fought during The Great War of 1914 -18.  Those members of the company who lost their lives are commemorated in a window which can be seen in the Gallery Swan of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Unveiled by Dame Ellen Terry in 1925, it shows St George defeating the dragon.  St George is the likeness of Eric Benson, the only son of Frank and Constance, who was killed in action  at the Somme in September 1916.  Winchester College's website contains more details of his war service, military honours and death:  http://www.winchestercollegeatwar.com/archive/eric-william-benson/

Lt-Col Eric William Benson 

Nine other Bensonians are also remembered in the window: Charles Bibby, Harold Chapin, Rupert Conrick, Arthur Curtis, William Harris, Frank Mathews, Guy Rathbone, W Ribton Haines and James Stanners. Many other members of the Company served and survived the war. Benson himself tried to sign up on several occasions and made spirited efforts to convince the authorities that he was actually younger than his age. Finally in 1916 he and Constance set out to work with the Red Cross.

The BATH CHRONICLE AND WEEKLY GAZETTE of June 3rd 1916 reported that Sir Frank Benson, the Shakespearian actor, and Lady Benson are going to Salonika to help in the work of one of the Serbian Army hospitals. They hope to start in about three weeks. "The opportunity of going out presented itself," he said, "and we naturally jumped at it. So many actors have thrown up everything and gone to the front that we felt we ought to do what we could...I do not say that every one on the stage ought to go to the front, for I think that the theatres at home are doing real war work in keeping the nation in good spirits, and the work of actors and actresses in cheering the wounded has, I believe, been of great service. "There is, of course, a difficulty in obtaining men for Shakespearian plays, for you need young, vigorous men for Shakespeare - just the kind you need for the Army. About a dozen of my younger men have gone to the Army during the past year. The stage has already given a great proportion of its men to the Army, and others are working in munition factories and showing skill and ability... I do not advocate closing theatres, but when a man gets a call to go he has to answer it, and that is why I am off." Sir Frank Benson's absence will mean the suspension of his company's Shakespearean tours until next spring.

In 1917 Sir Frank and Lady Benson ran canteens in France for the French Red Cross. They returned to England in June 1917 and recommenced touring , but returned again to France in 1918, Frank driving an ambulance and Constance serving in the British base at Etaples. Sir Frank was awarded the French Croix de Guerre.