A quick catch up...

Not quite sure where 2015 went to, nor where January 2016 has gone.  2016 is a highly significant year for Shakespeare aficionados, of course, and FRB has already had an honourable mention in an article Gregory Doran, artistic director of the RSC, wrote for the Sunday Telegraph on January 1st
Read it here.

FRB as Othello, date unknown

The very last day of 2015 also saw the publication of my Midsummer Night's Dream article in Theatre Notebook - my own  small attempt at putting FRB back on the British Shakespeare Map.  Of course, I'm hyper-critical of it and can see lots of things which I could have done better... but it is lovely to see it properly in print!

After a very time-pressured start to the year, work has again resumed on the data base and in a little over a week's time I'm heading back to the archives in Stratford, having used some of the Louis Marder Scholarship money to rent a cottage for the week. I've set myself (and my willing research assistant!) a mountain of material to get through, including the prompt books for three tragedies - Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet and Othello.  I'm interested to see how Benson edited them and whether they were as rearranged as some of the other plays were. I'm also hoping to fill in some of the gaps in the database, particularly in relation to the smaller companies, where the itineraries still look rather colander-like...

Looking forward to lots of cake and good company, and just being in my absolute favourite place on earth!

ON TOUR week beginning 21st May 1888, The Royalty, Chester.  This venue was one that the Benson Company returned to on at least 21 occasions up until 1932.  Opening in 1882, it closed as a theatre in 1966, demolished in 2001.  A hotel now stands on the City Road site.  These photographs of the interior date from the 1940s and 1950s.

The Cheshire Observer for Saturday 26th May described Benson as 'a most gifted actor...whose abilities are most particularly adapted for the exposition of  the highest flights of tragedy...supported in his efforts by a company of much talent.'  During the week they performed Hamlet (Mon), Romeo and Juliet (Tues), Merchant of Venice (Wed), Othello (Thurs), The Merry Wives of Windsor  (Fri) and Richard III (Sat) with Othello singled out for particular praise.  This was the final date in their touring season before a long summer break.