ROMEO & JULIET (Sofa Shakespeare)*****

 

By Megan

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNLurIlYAsw

Available until: Unknown

This is one of my favourite plays even though it is very sad. There are lots of really good performances and ideas that stood out in this production but I noticed two things which I hadn’t really thought about before.

Prince Escalus is a brilliant character. I have always focused more on Romeo, Juliet and the people closer to them but the Sofa Shakespeare actors have made me into a Prince Escalus fan. I like him because he always tries to be fair.

JULIUS CAESAR (Sofa Shakespeare)****

 

By Cal

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMvU4h7ehl4

Available until: Unknown

This production of Julius Caesar is so much fun. It’s not the most cheerful play in the world, but it is still very possible to have fun with it, while still giving a good and meaningful performance. It’s also great to see so many different people who have one very important thing in common: they all love Shakespeare.

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM (Sofa Shakespeare)*****

By Megan

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFBe-PSLB74

Available until: Unknown

Sofa Shakespeare is so much fun and A Midsummer Night’s Dream gives actors lots of opportunities to mess around and be funny.

But there are still some really powerful and serious scenes. At the start, one of the Hippolytas seemed to be behind bars. There is probably a really clever reason which I’ve missed because I’m only ten and I miss a lot of things but I was wondering if maybe Hippolyta was a prisoner before her marriage. Theseus says he wooed her with his sword so they would have been fighting on opposite sides.

OTHELLO (Sofa Shakespeare)*****

 

By Cal

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri--_c4YTEw

Available until: Unknown

Sofa Shakespeare is a fun idea, but their productions are always well put together and of a very high standard. This production of Othello features only actors from the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour) community.

TWELFTH NIGHT (Sofa Shakespeare)****

 

By Cal

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkh5RS_7eaI

Available until: Unknown, but this video has been up for five months and the oldest videos have been up for six months. Aashiq says you should take from that ‘What You Will’.

There are probably only so many ways you can say how wonderful these Sofa Shakespeare productions are – but at the same time, you can’t say it too many times. It’s definitely not a case of ‘seen one, seen them all’.

THE WINTER’S TALE (Sofa Shakespeare)*****

 

By Tommy

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zaTqbxPvVg

Available until: Unknow

Sofa Shakespeare is an online theatre company which produces fascinating and innovative productions involving anyone who wishes to be involved. Cast members are assigned a short section of the text and are then able to present it in whatever manner they wish. They can speak the lines as they would in a conventional production; they can use props and costumes; they can allow their pets and toys to ‘speak’ the lines – it seems there are no limitations, except, one would imagine, a few rules about common decency.

THE TEMPEST (Sofa Shakespeare)*****

 

By Megan

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-7hagc5zdk

Available until: Unknown

This is my first ever Sofa Shakespeare production but it won’t be my last because this was really good! It’s a really clever idea. Anyone can sign up to be in it and I think they give you part of the text and you can perform it any way you like then it’s all edited together into one play.