23 Mar 2010
Why bring Shakespeare to Dubai? Because the audiences are so engaged with the show that it makes performing any play here a profoundly enjoyable experience. This young audience has got some of Shakespeare’s jokes that even the Brits missed (I had to hold on for several seconds before I could continue after Maria’s line “Marry sir, I have not you by the hand” got a massive laugh).
This afternoon’s performances was sheer joy from beginning to end – it’s up there with the best two hours I’ve ever spent on a stage. Mind you, I am partnered with the incomparable Morgan Philpott as Sir Toby: a dream partner to have by your side.
This man Shakespeare is a total wonder. Who is writing a play today that is going to be enjoyed so enormously by actors and audiences alike in four hundred year’s time…?