Trinity College Dublin Shakespeare Festival Launched
Posted on: 16 May 2011
Dublin city will act as a stage for the works of William Shakespeare during the Trinity College Dublin Shakespeare Festival which will run from June 1st – 11th next. The festival, which is organised by the Dublin University Players and supported by the TCD Association and Trust, is one of the largest events of the Irish theatre calendar featuring over 50 different performances of William Shakespeare’s work, all of which will take place throughout Dublin’s most idyllic locations.
During the festival over 400 professional and amateur actors will perform both full-length Shakespeare written and influenced plays as well as short extracts of his work. The GB Theatre Company, Britain’s largest outdoor Shakespeare company, will perform two of William Shakespeare’s greatest plays, the classic comedy Twelfth Night and his much loved tragedy, Romeo and Juliet. The headline performances will take place each evening in a specially constructed outdoor theatre in the Front Square of Trinity College. Numerous student directed pieces will also feature during the festival along with workshops for those who want to get more acquainted with Shakespeare’s style and techniques.
Miriam O’Callaghan and Lord Mayor of Dublin, Gerry Breen, pose with actors dressed as famous Shakespeare characters and members of DU Players at the launch of the 2011 Trinity College Dublin Shakespeare Festival.
Dressed in Elizabethan costume, RTE broadcaster Miriam O’Callaghan launched the festival along with Lord Mayor of Dublin, Gerry Breen. Speaking at the launch Miriam highlighted the important civic duty the festival plays by connecting people of the Dublin community to the theatre. Festival Director, Marc Atkinson continued: “In a time of widespread funding cuts to the arts the Trinity College Dublin Shakespeare Festival presents an opportunity for us to maintain cultural artistic links within the theatre community in Ireland.”
The festival promises spectators a mix of comedy, music, tragedy, poetry and spectacle performed in settings that will add to the atmosphere and drama. A full programme of events is available on the festival website, www.dublinshakespeare.com.
Trinity College Dublin Shakespeare Festival Launched
Posted on: 25 May 2009
The first Trinity College Dublin Shakespeare Festival was launched recently by honorary patron of the festival, actor Stephen Rea and Provost of Trinity College, Dr John Hegarty. Organised by the Dublin University Players and funded through the Trinity College Visual and Performing Arts Fund, the festival will run from June 8th ―14th next, with a mixture of performances, guest speakers as well as a community outreach programme.
Some 60 scenes from Shakespeare will be performed during the festival by both professional actors from the British Shakespeare Company and amateur actors from the Dublin Shakespeare Company, TCD, UCD, and NUIM. It will feature over 100 performers throughout the week performing full-length Shakespeare written or influenced plays as well as short extracts in some Dublin city locations including Trinity College, St Stephens Green, the Civic Amphitheatre in Merrion Square and the River Liffey Boardwalk.
Broadcaster Myles Dungan, Honorary Patron of the festival, Stephen Rea and Provost
Dr John Hegarty at the launch of the Dublin Shakespeare Festival
A key feature of the Dublin Shakespeare Festival will be an extensive community outreach programme, the aim of which is to bring Shakespeare back into classrooms of primary schools and secondary schools. Activities in this programme include workshops run by the British Shakespeare Company to take place in primary and secondary schools around Dublin, talks on ‘De-Mystifying Shakespeare’ for schoolchildren and performances of a children’s text A Midsummer Night’s Dream by performers and representatives from Trinity College Dublin and a special matinee performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Trinity College’s Rose Garden for which Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin and the St Vincent De Paul Society will be provided with complimentary tickets.
The headline act of the week, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, will be performed by the British Shakespeare Company in the Rose Garden in Trinity College, featuring Robert J Williamson (Founder of National Shakespeare Day), Roxanne Pallet (Emmerdale, Dancing on Ice, Soapstar Superstar), and Daniella Lavendar (EastEnders, Casualty, Manchild).
“The Trinity College Dublin Shakespeare Festival intends to put Dublin firmly on the map in terms of performance of Shakespeare and is looking to set up the platform to make this the largest and most successful city wide open air Shakespeare festival in the coming years,” stated festival director Ross Dungan of DU Players. “For one week Dublin will play host to performances of Shakespeare around its most idyllic locations and we encourage people to come and be part of the experience.”