A bubble for the Bard
London Evening Standard, 6th March 1987
They are the cheekie chappies who turned up at the Arts council with a bold idea, sold it brilliantly and walked away with £100,000. Then they more than doubled that sum from elsewhere and disappeared to make their promise come true.
Actor Michael Pennington and director Michael Bogdanov are now about to prove to London the virtue of their invention.
They formed a new group called the English Shakespeare Company, created with a commitment of touring the Bard to the regions – but they are combining that with an essential service to London.
For a start they are bringing Shakespeare back to the Old Vic after an over-long absence and will do so in the most forceful form.
The Penn/Bog group arrives down the Waterloo road on March 16th with the trilogy of ‘Henry IV Parts I & II’ and Henry V’, and during the seven-week season will give the complete trilogy in an all-day performance every Saturday. This is known as event theatre and that is exactly what they set out to achieve. Pennington, ex-National and RSC – where he played a notable Hamlet – leads the 25-strong ensemble as Prince Hal and Henry V.
The company has been on the road since last November, including visits to France and Germany, and will wind up with a post-London run at the Toronto theatre base of the Old Vic backers, the Mirvish family. But at present they have London firmly in their sights – not least to get back to their own houses.
The tall and articulate Mr Pennington said: “It was at the Old Vic I first became struck as an 11-year-old boy and I’ve always though it was the natural home of Shakespeare.”
It was Pennington who proved the gutsy nature of the troupe when, on a day he was playing Prince Hal, he also went on as understudy in the small role of Feeble.
Pennington wants to keep the firm together after the Henrys though he could claim a new future in America where a CBS film he made as Sherlock Holmes has just been acclaimed.
“It would be interesting to explore what’s available there, but I like the idea of an actor and a director being in harness together to run a company.
“Some of the best times I’ve had have been at the RSC and the NT but I get a bit bored with the faddishness of their casting. If you have to work for a bureaucracy I’d rather create my own and make it a small one like this.”
Return to The Henry Trilogy Articles
Archives Jan/June 2012 |
Archives July/December 2011 |
Archives Jan/June 2011 |
Archives July/December 2010 |
Archives Jan/June 2010 |
Archives July/Dec 2009 |
Archives Jan/June 2009 |
Stage |
Audio |
Television |
Radio |
Film |
Books |
Plays |
Anton Chekhov |
Sweet William |
English Shakespeare Company |
Readings |
Direction |
An interview wiith Antony himself |
Reviews |
Michael Pennington on Ibsen |
Exeunt.com |
Ibsen's Judgement at The Print Room |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Interview |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Shakespearean actor learns from 'Love' |
Reviews |
Collaboration & Taking Sides |
San Francisco Sentinel |
The News |
Reviews Chichester |
Reviews London |
On ... Doing a West End Double |
When Bobby Met Terry |
Reviews |
Nellie Ternan |
Reviews |
A curious character |
Reviews |
The Short Answer |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Reviews |
The Knives Are Out |
Reviews |
They call it puppet love |
Reviews |
Interview |
A performance fit for a King |
A World of Schemers |
Reviews |
Peter's friends |
From Russia With Love |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Coping with the Apocalypse |
Pennington back in fold |
Labours of love |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Changing of the Guard |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Old Vic's Master of Disguise |
Studies in misogyny |
Reviews |
The Entertainer finds new life ... |
Reviews |
Ugly Americans, British Style |
In Defence of the Playwright |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Reviews |
The thing with this play |
There's something nice ... |
Reviews |
Reviews |
How to be in two plays at one time |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Rigorous romantic |
If this is Venice |
Reviews |
Bring on the Russian Horses |
Man with a lean and hungry look |
Reviews |
Reviews |
In the shadows .... |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Reviews |
A state of mind and body |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Reviews |
The Travels of Michael |
First Wicket Down |
Reviews |
Way of the Actor |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Former Spear Carrier |
One man's week |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Limelight 1967 |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Chekhov's Vaudevilles |
The cherries on Chekhov's birthday cake |
A Jubilee |
Reviews |
Cottesloe 1984 |
Dublin 1990 |
Old Vic 1997 |
Winchester Festival 2003 |
ETT 2003 |
Hampstead Theatre 2008 |
Little Angel Theatre |
Arcola Theatre |
Guthrie Theater |
Hampstead Theatre London |
Chicago Shakespeare Theatre |
Oxford Playhouse |
Salisbury Playhouse |
Theatre Royal Northampton |
reviews |
Talks about book |
From Macbeth to Lear |
Performance |
Direction - Twelfth Night |
Books |
Videos |
Theatre company head quits |
The Henry Trilogy |
The Wars of the Roses |
Coriolanus |
The Winter's Tale |
Macbeth |
Henry IV Part I |
Henry IV Part II |
Henry V |
Reviews |
Articles |
Heady Challenge |
Hurray for the new Henry |
The Bard takes to the Road |
A bubble for the Bard |
Marathon Man |
Bard Boy |
Richard II |
Henry IV Part I |
Henry IV Part II |
Henry V |
Henry VI Lancaster |
Henry VI York |
Richard III |
Reviews |
Articles |
A Magnificent Seven |
Star Wars, Rose Wars |
An ambitious programme |
Tough company |
The Battle of the Bards |
Cycling Shakespeare |
Histories for our time |
A garment all of blood |
Coriolanus & WT Reviews |
Articles |
Roman Hero for our day |
Sun rises on Coriolanus |
A theatrical tour de force |
Son of Shakespeare-Wallah |
Bard on the Run |
Reviews |
Articles |
Now and thane |
Bard stripped bare |
Reviews |
The Story of the Wars of the Roses |
Operation Shakespeare |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Reviews |
A Midsummer Night's Dream |
Twelfth Night (Chicago) |
Twelfth Night (Tokyo) |
Kafka - A Report to the Academy |
Alone Together |
Twelfth Night Across the Continents |
On Acting and Directing Shakespeare |
Reviews |
Reviews |
By Gloucester Docks |
The Name of the Rose |
Felix in the Underworld |
Antony and Cleopatra |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Classics for Pleasure |
Reviews |
Sentimental journey |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Lucky Stryk |
Reviews |
From Russia ... with love |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Reviews |
Reviews |
The book the Bishop burnt |
Reviews |
Reviews |
The Return of Sherlock Holmes |
Fragile |
Britain isn't Working |
The Iron Lady |
Elementary, my dear Miss Watson |
Review |
Hamlet. A User's Guide |
Twelfth Night. A User's Guide |
Are You There Crocodile? |
A Pocket Guide |
A Midsummer Night's Dream. A User's Guide |
Players of Shakespeare |
Audio |
Books |
Direction |
English Shakespeare Company |
Film |
Theatre |
Radio |
Readings |
Television |