Two days ago the Stratford Festival in Ontario, Canada announced that their entire 2020 season was put on hold. The 67-year-old theatre festival, considered one of the finest in the world, may have to wait until 2021 to re-open. But you can still enjoy much of their work as they are making a dozen filmed plays by Shakespeare available for viewing through the end of July. The series is the Stratford Shakespeare Film Festival.
Unlike many other streaming options available to view, the Stratford Festival is making each production available for three weeks. To access the films, just click on the link in the first paragraph.
The Stratford Festival has grouped three plays into four different themes.
Trilogy #1: Social Order and Leadership
The Stratford Shakespeare Film Festival began last week with King Lear starring Colm Feore. King Lear began April 23rd and will be available through May 14th.
André Sills stars as Coriolanus, a Roman General who, after a significant victory, proves to be an immature and boastful man who has no empathy towards the lower class. Robert LePage directed this production. Coriolanus will be available April 30th to May 21st.
That Scottish play, aka Macbeth, will be available May 7th to May 28th. Ian Lake stars as the title character. Krystin Pellerin stars as Lady MacBeth. Michael Blake is MacDuff and Scott Wentworth is Banquo. Shelagh O’Brien directed the film of the play directed by Antonio Cimolino.
Trilogy #2: Isolation
The second trilogy is called Isolation. It begins on May 14th with The Tempest, which will be available through June 4th. Timon of Athens will run May 21st to June 11th. Love’s Labour’s Lost concludes this trilogy May 28th to June 18th.
Trilogy #3: Minds Pushed to the Edge
The third trilogy is called Minds Pushed to the Edge. Hamlet will launch on June 4th and run through June 25th. King John is next starting June 11th and available through June 2nd. Pericles closes out this trilogy June 18th to July 9th.
Trilogy #4: Relationships
The final trilogy is named Relationships and features three very different views of relationships. The historical drama Antony and Cleopatra starts June 25th and will be available through July 16th. Romeo and Juliet, the ultimate tragedy, will be available July 2nd to July 23rd. This trilogy, and the entire film festival, concludes with the comedy The Taming of the Shrew from July 9th to July 30th.
As each trilogy gets started, we will update you with cast and additional details.
In the meantime all you Anglophiles and Shakespeare fans, you have much to look forward to with the Stratford Shakespeare Film Festival.
Main Photo: Ian Lake with members of the company of Macbeth (Photo by David Hou)
All photos courtesy of the Stratford Festival