[London urban noises fade into mystical music]
Hello, I’m Emma Rice, and in April I become the third Artistic Director of Shakespeare’s Globe.
It’s been an incredible few months, and I’m very excited to announce my first season.
I’ve been telling stories all my life, and as a director I’ve explored lots of folk tales or, as I like to call them, ‘wonder tales’.
And that’s why I’m calling my first season the ‘Wonder season’.
And I’m picking all the plays that have a magical sense of folklore about them, so I think we’re in for a treat of mysticism and magic.
The season’s going to open with my first show on the Globe stage, I’ve chosen ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’
it’s perfect, it’s about love, it’s about identity, and it’s about magic.
And then, it’s followed by Caroline Byrne’s ‘The Taming of the Shrew’
it’s controversial, it’s sexy and it’s going to be very, very Irish.
The Wonder Season continues with Iqbal Kahn – in my opinion the greatest radical classicist of our generation – directing ‘Macbeth’
Followed by Matthew Dunster, my Associate, directing ‘Imogen’ – now this is ‘Cymbeline’, renamed, reclaimed
Did you know that Imogen has three times more lines than Cymbeline?
The summer holidays bring Kneehigh to the Globe. We’re bringing our production of ‘946 – the Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips’ here.
It’s adapted from the Michael Morpurgo novel and it’s suitable for everyone, if you’re 7 or 107, this is the best family show for you.
The autumn sees the welcome return of ‘The Merchant of Venice’ directed by Jonathan Munby and starring the amazing Jonathan Pryce.
This is a landmark production. Touring is in the lifeblood of the Globe, and we’ll see this production travel to China and America.
Here we are in the breathtakingly beautiful candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, here in the summer we’re going to bring in Kneehigh’s ‘The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk’
Directed by me, it charts the marriage of Marc and Bella Chagall.
Then, we bring in our touring production ‘The Two Gentlemen of Verona’ directed by Nick Bagnall – it’s going to bring rock and roll into this amazing candlelit chapel.
And finally we have 'The Inn at Lydda' by John Wolfson - it's going to blow our minds.
Summer 2016, Shakespeare’s Globe – there really is something for everyone.
And keep watching, there’s going to be lots of surprises in store. So see you here – it’s going to be amazing!
