Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce its Winter Season for 2018/19 in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse.
Featuring two pairings of plays by William Shakespeare and his celebrated counterpart, Christopher Marlowe, this call and response season opens on 7 November 2018. Throughout the season we are also inviting today’s artists to examine, rework and elaborate on these 400-year-old provocations with new work written in response to Shakespeare and Marlowe.
William Shakespeare’s Macbeth will be directed by Robert Hastie, opening the season as a timely reminder of the destruction that can result from the quest for power, and an examination of the evil forces that can take root in the imagination of a tyrant. Robert is the Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres, where he has directed their critically acclaimed productions Julius Caesar, Of Kith and Kin and The Wizard of Oz. Robert directed Michelle Terry in the titular role of Henry V at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre (2016). He also directed Breaking the Code at Manchester’s Royal Exchange in the play’s first major revival for 30 years.
Opening on 1 December, Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus will be directed by Paulette Randall, and plays alongside Macbeth. The cautionary tale examines the very nature of human curiosity and our unparalleled thirst for knowledge. Paulette’s theatre credits include Fences starring Lenny Henry (Theatre Royal Bath, West End), Gem of the Ocean, Blues for Mr Charlie (Tricycle) and Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune (Chichester Festival Theatre). Her screen credits include Casualty, The Crouches and Holby City (BBC One). Paulette was associate director of the 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony and was awarded an MBE for services to drama in 2015.
Dark Night of the Soul: a feminine response to the Faustian bargain opens on 29 December. The Faustian myth continues to fascinate and intrigue, but has been appropriated by the man, the male, the masculine, with little exploration or discovery of what it means for the woman, the female, the feminine, to stop at a crossroads and ‘sell her soul’. Jude Christian will direct an ensemble of female writers including Lily Bevan, Athena Stevens, Katie Hims, Amanda Wilkin, Lisa Hammond and Rachael Spence. They will respond to the provocation, with the ultimate aim of creating a chorus of female voices asking: What would you sell your soul for? Jude Christian will be performing Nanjing, a piece about identity, dispossession, and the consequences of war, in the Playhouse this week as part of Refugee Week 2018.
Ralegh: The Treason Trial, edited and dramatised by Oliver Chris, will premiere in Winchester Great Hall, the location of the original trial 415 years ago, before playing in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. The production is a verbatim account of what played out on that extraordinary November morning, compiled and edited from sources present at the trial itself. Oliver is an actor, writer and director best-known in the theatre for his roles in One Man, Two Guvnors (National Theatre, West End, Broadway), King Charles III (Almeida, West End, Broadway), and Twelfth Night (National Theatre).
The season continues with Marlowe’s Edward II and Shakespeare’s Richard II, examining ancestral relationships and notions of identity, sexuality, desire and power. Edward II plays from 7 February 2019. King Edward recalls his lover from banishment and sets in motion a chain of events that culminate in some of the most shocking scenes in early modern theatre. Marlowe’s portrayal of Edward and Gaveston is a rare depiction of a gay relationship on the early modern stage, and a frank exploration of the tension between private pleasures and public duty.
Richard II was hugely controversial when it was first written and performed, and it strikes us today with remarkable immediacy as Shakespeare asks us to consider the destiny that we might be shaping for our ‘scepter’d isle’. The production will open on 22 February and play during a period in which we will play our own part in defining history and becoming the shoulders on which future generations will stand, as the UK’s scheduled departure from the EU is due to take place on 29 March 2019.
The Read Not Dead series continues to shed new light on Shakespeare’s contemporaries, and this year includes Edward I (first printed 1593) by George Peele. The series will also bring to life The Little French Lawyer (first performed 1619 – 1623, first published 1647) by John Fletcher and Philip Massinger, and The Tragedy of Sir John van Olden Barnavelt (first performed 1619, first published 1883) by John Fletcher and Philip Massinger. Events will be taking place over the half term period, including storytelling and workshops of Macbeth and Henry V for families.
Opening 21 March, After Edward is written by Tom Stuart. Edward II wanders on to the empty stage, bloodied and confused. He has no idea where he is, or how he got here, but he does have an ominous feeling that something is wrong. A daring new play written specifically for the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse in response to Christopher Marlowe’s Edward II, After Edward welcomes us into a chaotic world of pride and shame. Tom has appeared as an actor at Shakespeare’s Globe in many productions including The Broken Heart, The Changeling (2015), Romeo & Juliet (2009) and Much Ado About Nothing (2007). He performed in the Battersea Arts Centre’s production of Edward II in 2008. His screen credits include Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Psychobitches (Sky Arts), and A Good Year. Tom has been working in film, television and theatre as an actor for 14 years. His first play I Am Not Myself These Days, an adaptation of Josh Kilmer-Purcell’s New York Times bestselling autobiography, was performed by Tom at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (2015) and toured the UK in 2016.
Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank celebrates its 14th year at the Globe Theatre. Throughout March 2019, Romeo & Juliet will be opening the doors to the next generation of audiences.
Advance Priority Booking: Wednesday 20 June
Friends Priority Booking: Monday 25 June
Public Booking: Monday 16 July
Book tickets through our trusted official partner
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A note on the spelling of Ralegh:
During Ralegh’s lifetime, there was no standardised spelling of surnames. Consequently, the way his name was written down varied enormously, from spellings like Rawleye to Rayley or the even more obscure Raulyghe or Raule. He didn’t even spell his own name consistently for much of his life, but from about 1585 he did seem to settle on the spelling Ralegh, which is what we’ve opted for. Surprisingly, there is no record of him ever using posterity’s favoured spelling, Raleigh.
PRODUCTIONSMacbeth by William Shakespeare
7 November 2018 – 2 February 2019
Press night: 14 November 2018
Director: Robert Hastie
Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe
1 December 2018 – 2 February 2019
Press night: 6 December 2018
Director: Paulette Randall
Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
Dark Night of the Soul: The feminine response to the Faustian myth
29 December 2018 – 2 February 2019
Writers: Lily Bevan, Athena Stevens, Lisa Hammond and Rachael Spence, Katie Hims and Amanda Wilkin
Director: Jude Christian
Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
Ralegh: The Treason Trial, compiled, edited and dramatised by Oliver Chris
15 November 2018 - Community Performance; 16 – 18 November 2018: Tickets £20 – £35: The Great Hall, Winchester
24 – 30 November 2018: Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
Edward II by Christopher Marlowe
7 February – 20 April 2019
Press night: 13 February 2019
Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
Richard II by William Shakespeare
22 February – 21 April 2019
Press night: 27 February 2019
Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
After Edward by Tom Stuart
21 March – 6 April 2019
Press night: 27 March 2019
Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank: Romeo and Juliet
1 – 27 March 2019
Globe Theatre
Free tickets are available to all London and Birmingham state schools. Independent schools and schools outside London can book heavily subsidised tickets from £5 – £15. Tickets are also available for family performances at a subsidised rate of £5 – £15.
ASSISTED PERFORMANCES
Captioned performances:
Macbeth: 13 December 2018, 7.30pm
Doctor Faustus: 30 January 2019, 7.30pm
Edward II: 6 April 2019, 2pm
After Edward: 6 April 2019, 7.30pm
Richard II: 17 April 2019, 7.30pm
Audio Described performances:
Macbeth: 15 December 2018, 2pm
Doctor Faustus: 26 January 2019, 2pm
Edward II: 16 March 2019, 2pm
After Edward: 14 April 2019, 1pm
Relaxed performances:
Macbeth: 18 January 2019, 7.30pm
Doctor Faustus: 29 January 2019, 7.30pm
Edward II: 12 April 2019, 7.30pm
Richard II: 28 March 2019, 7.30pm
EVENTS
These are the Youths that Thunder in the Playhouse
Nancy Knowles Lecture Theatre
Thursday 8 November 2018, 6.00pm £10 (£5 Members / Students)
Armistice Day
Join us as we mark 100 years since the end of the First World War with a day of events that question the imagined reality of war and the lived experience. Full programme for the day to be announced later in the year, including a collaboration with The Soldiers’ Arts Academy.
Sunday 11 November 2018
Location TBC
A Concert for Winter
This free annual showcase invites Southwark nurseries, schools and community groups to perform a song or poem on stage in celebration of the past, present and future of the borough. Tickets to watch the event are free and will be available to book from September 2018. Supported by Delancey.
Globe Theatre
Thursday 6 December 2018, 1pm
Perdition Catch My Soul: Shakespeare, Hell and Damnation
Nancy Knowles Lecture Theatre
Saturday 8 December 2018, 10am £15 (£12 Members / Students)
Winter Wassail
A festive celebration in the Globe Theatre that will warm your cockles and leave you with a big smile on your face. Join us for poetry, readings, stories and song, with stunning instrumental music courtesy of two wonderful musical ensembles: The English Cornett & Sackbut Ensemble and The Society of Strange and Ancient Instruments.
Saturday 22 December 2018 (6pm), Sunday 23 December 2018 (3pm & 6pm)
Tickets £5 – £35
Globe Theatre
READ NOT DEAD
The Little French Lawyer (first performed 1619 – 1623, first published 1647) by John Fletcher and Philip Massinger
Actors and lawyers join together once again at Gray’s Inn and appropriately present The Little French Lawyer. The central character, a prosperous attorney called Le Writ, proves to be as successful with his swords as he is with his words.
Gray’s Inn, 8 South Square, London Sunday 28 October 2018, 3pm
£25 (£20 Members / Students)
The Tragedy of Sir John van Olden Barnavelt (first performed 1619, first published 1883) by John Fletcher and Philip Massinger
In the febrile atmosphere of post-war Holland, tensions run high, rebellion breaks out, and Barnavelt must stand trial. This real-life political thriller, staged only months after Barnavelt’s actual execution, was censored by the Master of the Revels for its political content.
Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
Sunday 18 November 2018, 4pm
£15 (£12 Members / Students)
Edward I (first printed 1593) by George Peele
Edward Longshanks, a leader striving to unite the people of England, Scotland and Wales, finds himself embroiled in a bitter war against mutiny on all sides. With the kingdom so perilously divided, and the English court rife with deception, George Peele’s chronicle of King Edward I seems bound to end in tragedy.
Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
Sunday 10 February 2019, 4pm
£15 (£12 Members / Students)
FAMILY HALF TERM EVENTS
Macbeth Workshops
Watkins Studio 1: Workshops for 5 – 8 year olds
Watkins Studio 2: Workshops for 9 – 12 year olds
23, 25 & 27 October 2018, 12.15pm
£7 (all those under 16 must be accompanied by an adult) All adults and children must purchase a ticket to the event
Henry V Storytelling
Suitable for ages 5+
Nancy Knowles Lecture Theatre: 19, 21, 23 February 2019, 1.30pm
£10 (all those under 16 must be accompanied by an adult)
Henry V Workshops
Watkins Studio 1: Workshops for 5 – 8 year olds
Watkins Studio 2: Workshops for 9 – 12 year olds
19, 21 & 23 February 2019, 12.15pm
£7 (all those under 16 must be accompanied by an adult)
CONSERVATORY TRAINING PERFORMANCES
Rutgers Conservatory at Shakespeare’s Globe – Measure for Measure
Globe Theatre
Friday 15 & Saturday 16 February 2019, 6.30pm
Tickets free
Sam Wanamaker Festival
Globe Theatre
Sunday 31 March 2019, 4pm
Tickets £5 - £10
