Morte D'Arthur - Stratford Upon Avon
Under the direction of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Chief Associate Director Gregory Doran comes a new staging of Thomas Malory’s Morte D’Arthur from June 2010. It is a new version of the classic story from Mike Poulton, who put the piece together through workshops with the ensemble and director to create a truly unique staging, bringing new life to a story that was first set to paper during the War of the Roses.
It is a compilation of a selection of Arthurian romances from French and English, with original work appearing alongside retellings of classic tales of the legend of King Arthur. It has been around for some time and was first published by William Caxton as far back as 1485, meaning that it has had a long time to build its effect on modern culture. Most famously it is responsible for many modern views on the legend of King Arthur as Malory had adapted many tales of the Knights of the Round Table into a single compilation, meaning that interpretations since its publication have been influenced by his work.
As a result, Morte D’Arthur is the story of King Arthur and the way in which the establishment of the Knights of the Round Table eventually leads to the quest for the Holy Grail. It contains many elements from the famous story including the sword in the stone and issues of magic and mythical legends. The story begins with Arthur’s rise to power, progresses through the war with the Romans, the quest of the Holy Grail, the affair between Lancelot and Guinevere and the disbanding of the Knights of the Round Table.
Director Gregory Doran has staged a number of acclaimed productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company and beyond and is well known for the production of “Macbeth” with Antony Sher, which was broadcast by Channel 4 back in 2001. His other stage productions include the David Tennant and Patrick Stewart-starring “Hamlet”, which was also broadcast, this time for the BBC. “Love’s Labour’s Lost” is another of his shows and he won a Laurence Olivier Award early in the last decade for his role as director of a season of plays that included “Edward III” and more.
Morte D’Arthur is at the Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon from Friday 11th June 2010 to Wednesday 28th August 2010.
