More live screenings at the Merlin

THE Merlin Theatre has upgraded its live screenings to now include productions from the Royal Shakespeare Company.

After just a year the theatre’s live broadcasts have become an integral part of the season, and audiences have enjoyed plays as varied as ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time’, ‘Frankenstein’, ‘The Crucible’ and, most recently Shaw’s ‘Man and Superman’.

The summer season continues with modern drama in ‘London Road’ on Tuesday 9th June and ‘Everyman’, a modern adaptation of the medieval morality play by poet Carol Ann Duffy on Thursday 16th July. Autumn offers include ‘The Beaux Stratagem’ and ‘Coriolanus’ in September and  Benedict Cumberbatch in ‘Hamlet’ in October.

This year, the Merlin adds another string to its bow with the addition of screenings from the RSC. Unlike the National, which offers a mix of classical and modern theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company’s productions are predominantly plays by Shakespeare and his contemporaries.

Local audiences now have the opportunity to see ‘The Merchant of Venice’, with Makram J. Khoury, one of the most celebrated actors in Israel, as Shylock and Patsy Ferran as Portia, on Wednesday 22nd July. ‘Othello’ follows on Wednesday 26th August, with Hugh Quarshie (from TV’s ‘Holby City’) in the lead, with a new production of Henry V in October.

Several of these screenings were finalised too late for inclusion in the Merlin’s current brochure, but details can be found at www.merlintheatre.co.uk