"Hamlet is like a sponge"
Living Archives of Theatre-Making
About the Show
"Hamlet is like a sponge" Living Archives of Theatre-Making Tuesday 28th April, 11:00am - York St John University Creative Centre This all-day event explores the documentation of performance and its afterlives, adaptation and translation, looking at the extraordinary case of Shakespeare's Hamlet from within pioneering director David Gothard's archive. The event title is taken from Jan Kott's Shakespeare Our Contemporary (1964), suggesting the play is able to absorb and respond to any period or place. These ideas will be brought to life with an exhibition, talks, and is followed by a concert. The programme features a unique line-up of talks and presentations, including David Gothard, Michele Drascek, the director of the archive, Armond Morina, leading-actor from Kosovo who played the title role in Gothard's significant Albanian-language production reopening the National Theatre of Kosovo in 1999 after the war, and others. An exhibition of archival documents displayed for the first time includes exploration of Gothard's relationship with Andrei Tarkovsky, the re-opening of the National Theatre of Kosovo in 1999 (with newly-discovered photography by Afrim Hajrullahu, designs by Edi Agagjyshi and documentary footage by Cheryl Johnson), an Arabic-language production with Saleh Bakri, and an extraordinary trip through Tibet with Joseph Fiennes on a portable 'suitcase' Hamlet. The event is curated by Gertrude Gibbons, PhD candidate (AHRC funded through WRoCAH) at the University of York. The event will be catered with light refreshments. Free to attend - spaces are limited so booking is recommended.
Booking Information
On each of our events we offer a ticket option called Pass It On! If you purchase any number of these tickets, we will gratefully pass them on to people who otherwise would be unable to attend due to financial barriers, with a special focus on refugees and asylum seekers. Would you like to be considered for a Pass It On! ticket? Contact us at info@yorkshakes.co.uk --- All tickets for our events have an added 10% to help cover our ticket processing surcharge. Tickets purchased in person are not subject to this charge, but we cannot guarantee availability without booking in advance. --- There is a hearing loop and a limited number of wheelchair spaces available at this venue. Please contact us via phone call at 07784819412 or email at skylar@parrabbola.co.uk to discuss accessibility measures or to request a wheelchair ticket. --- No longer able to attend? We understand - things happen. If you are no longer able to attend we ask that you let us know as far in advance as possible so we can re-sell your ticket. We will offer refunds and aim to process these within 30 days. Contact us at info@yorkshakes.co.uk for more information and to request a cancellation.
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In 2024, your donations will go towards...
-the creation of an original performance by actors from Ukraine and artists from York
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