Shakespeare’s Globe to appear in cinemas worldwide this summer through partnership with Arts Alliance Media

Shakespeare's Globe to appear in cinemas worldwide this summer through partnership with Arts Alliance Media

 

Shakespeare's Globe has partnered with Arts Alliance Media – the leading European distributor of alternative content – to release four of its 2010 theatre productions in cinemas across the world this summer. The season will launch globally from June 2011with over 250 cinemas in the USA already lined up to take part through NCM Fathom. The Shakespeare in Cinema series will initially feature four performances recorded during the 2010 'Kings and Rogues' season – The Merry Wives of Windsor, shortly followed byHenry IV Part 1, Henry IV Part 2 and Henry VIII.

 

Dominic Dromgoole, Artistic Director of Shakespeare's Globe said "With the advent of new technology it is now possible to see and hear theatrical productions in the cinema with a wonderful sharpness and clarity.  We are delighted that these productions will be finding new audiences, who can experience Globe shows as if they were in the building."

 

Elizabeth Draper, Arts Alliance Media's VP of Alternative Content Distribution, added "The superb digital cinema picture and sound quality that viewers can experience in their cinemas brings them even closer to the action of these world-class productions, all for the price of a cinema ticket. We're delighted to be working with one of the most highly regarded Shakespeare companies in the world, and look forward to making the Shakespeare Cinema Series experience a truly unique one, for theatre and cinema lovers, and students, worldwide".

 

The Merry Wives of Windsor, directed by Christopher Luscombe, was a huge hit at the Globe in 2008 and again in 2010, going on to become an internationally successful tour. Featuring Christopher Benjamin as Shakespeare's wily rogue Falstaff, with Serena Evans and Sarah Woodward as the two merry wives, Shakespeare's brilliantly constructed farce – often described as the forerunner to today's sitcoms – bursts with colour and humour in this delightful production.

                                  

Henry IV Parts 1 and 2, performed at the Globe for the first time in 2010, continue the 'Kings and Rogues' cinema series. Featuring an Olivier Award winning performance from Roger Allam as Falstaff alongside Jamie Parker as Prince Hal, the two parts of Henry IV are widely considered to be Shakespeare's masterpieces. Part 1 combines compelling power politics with the hilarious antics of Falstaff – Shakespeare's greatest comic creation – with part 2 including some of the greatest dramatic moments in Shakespeare's writing. These two plays mark a turning point in Shakespeare's career, revealing new depths of storytelling and realism, and portraying a glorious, epic landscape of Britain.

 

The season concludes with a rare opportunity to see Henry VIII, famous in its own day as Shakespeare's most sumptuous and spectacular play, and infrequently performed today. A performance of Henry VIII on 29 June 1613 was responsible for burning down the original Globe Theatre. This new 2010 production, directed by Mark Rosenblatt and featuring Dominic Rowan, Miranda Raison and Anthony Howell, is a gorgeous pageant of masques and royal ceremony.

 

As part of its commitment to capture its work on film, Shakespeare's Globe will record three productions during the 2011 season – Much Ado About Nothing, All's Well That Ends Well and Doctor Faustus. These high-quality recordings provide the archive with accurate and lasting records of the Globe's productions, as well as extending its work into cinemas, on DVD and online.

 

More details of the 2011 screenings, including currently confirmed UK venue details and release dates can be found athttp://www.shakespearesglobe.com/theatre/on-film. More cinemas and more territories will be added to the list in the coming weeks.