Sweet Swan of Avon

You’ll find snippets in this section of my website about William Shakespeare . I’ve been interested in the playwright and bis plays  since childhood. As a small child I lived in Scotland between Aberdeen  and Inverness and not far from Forres. This is Macbeth country.

I was a child, around seven years of age when I arrived in the north of Scotland.. After school was over, we  would fight  each other  in  fatal battles with branches from trees and bellow at our opponents  “Lay on Macduff, and dammed be him who first cries,  Hold. Enough ”  We  shouted  “How far to Forres?”  without knowing why!  I learned  about a King being  murdered in Inverness Castle. My Mum took me there, but I never saw the blood from King Duncan’s  assassination. From friends blabbering  I know that strong rhythm. “The Thane of Fife had a wife.”  It is still with me in my old age.

How did I get to  know all this theatre history? I can only assume that we small kids got our half  understood knowledge it from bigger brothers and sisters who studied Macbeth at college.

I am a fan of the Bard. He has taught me much about  life and still does. I know the good characters , the bad characters and the complex ones   too. I am  close friends with  Macbeth, Antony and his lover Cleopatra and those bewildering lovers Beatrice and Benedick. And, I am forever in the mind of my close friend Hamlet. I too have wished for sleep… but perchance to dream!!!!! Poor Romeo and Juliet. Youth makes mistakes, but these teenager’s paid  the ultimate price.  No need for planned suicide.  Emotions  ripped through them. Older people meant well and failed the teenagers. Fate took its toll . A message undelivered to Romeo sealed his life.

I was never interested in being an actor. I directed theatre plays and then I got to know all  the characters and  to act the whole play  in my head, as I worked out what this line  meant and why this person did that with  that person.

So, Erica – as Minister of  Education dealing with William – the Sweet Swan of Avon…who knows what might come up when you insist on teaching about the plays of the Bard. Murder of kids in the Tower of London  and so much abuse of  people by King Richard, the Third.  Acceptance of adultery.   Stealing of property. Belief in magic. Teenagers getting access to dangerous drugs by the clergy as in Romeo and Juliet.  So much violence in so many plays. Misunderstandings. Many.

But, great theatre if you love it!!!!!!!!!!!!