American actress Amy Walker delivers the ‘To be or not to be soliloquy’ from Hamlet, Act 3 Scene 1, while flossing. And why not? As Kenneth Branagh has demonstrated (with a somewhat bigger budget), this is a speech designed for delivering to a mirror.
Date: 2006 Posted by:sykesmarcus Credits: Filmed by Marcus Sykes Cast: Marcus Sykes (Shylock) Duration: 1.38
Marcus Sykes delivers Shylock’s speech “To bait fish withal: if it will feed nothing else, It will feed my revenge”, The Merchant of Venice Act 3 Scene 1. A muted but interesting interpretation. One of a series of video monologues titled onscreen either Shakesphere in the Ghetto or Shakespeer in the Ghetto.
Date: 2008 Posted by:sykesmarcus Credits: Filmed by Marcus Sykes Cast: Marcus Sykes (Angelo) Duration: 3.26
Marcus Sykes gives Angelo’s speech “What’s this, what’s this? Is this her fault or mine?” from Measure for Measure, Act 2 Scene 2. Filmed in black-and-white, in compelling close-up in tune with the quiet delivery. The music is an unnecessary distraction. One of a series of video monologues titled onscreen either Shakesphere in the Ghetto or Shakespeer in the Ghetto.
Date: 2006 Posted by:sykesmarcus Credits: Filmed by Marcus Sykes Cast: Marcus Sykes (Othello) Duration: 1.02
Marcus Sykes delivers Othello’s impassioned speech “Think, my lord! By heaven, he echoes me, As if there were some monster in his thought Too hideous to be shown. -Thou dost mean something” (Act 3 Scene 3). Another fine performance, almost but not quite too much so close to the camera. One of a series of video monologues titled onscreen either Shakesphere in the Ghetto or Shakespeer in the Ghetto.
Date: 2008 Posted by:sykesmarcus Credits: Filmed by Marcus Sykes Cast: Marcus Sykes (Othello) Duration: 1.08
Marcus Sykes gives another speech from Othello, this time “to be once in doubt / Is once to be resolv’d” (Act 3 Scene 3), filmed in close-up, with orange-red colouring. One of a series of video monologues titled onscreen either Shakesphere in the Ghetto or Shakespeer in the Ghetto.
Date: 2007 Posted by:sykesmarcus Credits: Filmed by Marcus Sykes Cast: Marcus Sykes (Othello) Duration: 1.58
Marcus Sykes gives a fine reading of Othello’s speech “Her father loved me, oft invited me” (Act 3 Scene 1), all in close-up, filmed in black-and-white, in intimate conversation with the camera (intriguingly positioned a little above him, which adds to the note of pleading as Othello is obliged to look up to us). One of a series of video monologues titled onscreen either Shakesphere in the Ghetto or Shakespeer in the Ghetto.
There are many Star War spoofs of Shakespeare out there. This is one of the better ones – a well-made enactment of the duel between Hamlet (with beard) and Laertes, with light sabres. Produced as a project for Damascus High School in 2003. Just a shame about the lame humour at the end.
Date: 2002 Posted by:nakedrabbit Credits: Directed by Tim Maloney for Naked Rabbit, John Hoffhines cat wrangler and composer Cast: John Over (Hamlet) Duration: 3.29
Engaging spoof of the Masterpiece Theatre-style of TV theatre presentation (complete with avancular introduction), with cut-out animation of cats performing part of Hamlet, Act 2 Scene 2, where Hamlet meets with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The witty presentation (which may owe something to the cut-out cat style made famous by Joel Veitch’s Rather Good site) and the eccentric quality of the verse-speaking make this stand out from the usual Shakespearean tomfoolery. One of the most viewed of Shakespeare productions on YouTube.
Date: 2007 Posted by:MosesHouse Credits: Directed by Max Littman, writer/executive producer Michael Weinreich, produced by Lisa Shapiro, director of photography Maximilian Schmige, production manager Annie Wilkes, art director Janet Franco, editor Adriana Blancarte, gaffer/grip/camera operator Matthew Ace Palanca, music Edvard Grieg (Gavin Gamboa-piano, Timothy Beutler – drums, Luke Webb – guitar) Cast: Jason Davids Scott (Timon), Lauren Bruniges (Sherry), Maximilian Schwarzenbach (Samuel), Martha Mintz (Beatrice), Eric Hedlund (Raphael), Merlin Huff (Edgar (Servant no. 1), Nicholas Owen Tapis (Servant no. 2), Miguel Juanreichez (The Gardener) Duration: 7.12
Bloody modern dress, modern silent film (including intertitles, piano music and black-and-white cinematography), based on Timon of Athens (though in practice it seems to owe rather more to Titus Andronicus). As the film’s website puts it:
Timon’s Friendship Adventure is the story of a jovial, plump, rich man. His main concern is the happiness of those around him – so much so that his generosity soon results in his own bankruptcy. When he asks his friends for loans he discovers that friendship can sometimes be a one-way street.
Made in 2007 and featured at various film festivals. Just a shame about the electric guitar.
Date: 2007 Posted by:CheekbyJowl Credits: Director of stage production Declan Donnellan Cast (stage production): Gwendoline Christie (Queen), Tom Hiddleston (Posthumus/Cloten), Jodie McNee (Imogen), David Collings (Cymbeline), Richard Cant (Pisanio), Guy Flanagan (Iachimo) Duration: 0.57
eTrailer for the Cheek by Jowl production of Cymbeline, which played at the Barbican, London, 24 May-23 June 2007. In form the short trailer comes across almost like a silent film, with dialogue-less glimpses of highspots of the action, interspersed with titles giving lines from the play, and then critics’ comments.