HISTORICAL CONTEXT- Analyse contemporary Shakespeare productions with reference to live performances you may have seen or clips or footage available online.

There is a reason that Shakespeare has survived this long- his writings, characters and stories speak to people of any age or century, with his structure and style becoming the foundation for many modern stories that followed after him. We are allowed the luxury of technology which allows our audiences to go deeper than they ever could before into his stories, creating a new era of Shakespearian productions.

I recently went to see a production of 'As You Like It' at the National theatre. A space like the national is already a crossover between classical and contemporary. A curved three sided theatre with two tiers. No standing, but the seating banks almost in the style of a playhouse, but with the luxury of a theatre's roof. To me seeing a play supported with lighting and sound is normal but it was here that you could find the difference between the production I was about to watch and the playhouse productions of the 17th century.

I walked into to a play set in an office with its workers performing their task with sudden sharp movements; almost like a choreographed dance. Again this setting is different due to its modern connotations and the detail on stage which would have lacked back in the 17th century. I think the use of such experimental styles compliments the work of Shakespeare perfectly. Shakespeare is by no means naturalistic; in fact his bold characters and deep story lines, if anything, were almost melodramatic. Therefore the colour and vibrancy of the original productions can be channelled into the modern day, moulding and shaping it into new forms, but keeping the unique individuality it always had.

The biggest part of the play was the change in scenery- we went from our office to a wondrous forest built from the tables and chairs of the previous scene. The strip lightings of the office lamps provided a glinting sky which could only be described as breath taking. This is a perfect presentation of how much modern productions are enhanced by modern inventions. So swiftly and elegantly moving one set up in the air to create a beautiful landscape of something polar opposite, is a sight Shakespearian audiences would not have experienced. This production was all about the set, Shakespeare productions were not. This is spectacle is in no way Shakespearean, but it enhanced one of his plays ten fold.

The most obvious difference between this production and a Shakespearean play is the presence of woman, one of whom was our protagonist. This is due to the modern acceptance of females in headlining roles, including one such as Rosalind, an independent, spirited young women who is not way afraid to speak her mind.

At the end of the play there was a Shakespearean dance and song (heard in the attached trailer) performed by the actors on stage. I think this was a lovely touch. It created a perfect balance of modern spectacle and classic simplicity. It was a beautiful piece informed by the original staging and yet making bold choices to inspire modern audiences imaginations.

Plays like this allow me to appreciate the timeless language Shakespeare gives us by telling the story in a new refreshing light. A barrier that faced those watching Shakespeare decades ago was that they didn't always understand the plot, as they can indeed be hard to follow. Now there are new ways to present his plays to a wider audience which can allow them access his works.

I think it is also worth noting that Shakespeare's productions have spread wide, touching genres such as art, music and dance. I watched this video from the Royal Opera celebrating the influence that Shakespeare can have on dance, opera and a wide range of art forms.

I think contemporary art forms all have their place in many different cultures around the world, so the key to everyone accessing the works of Shakespeare is by interpreting it in ways that aren't just a play in a theatre. The dramatic style of Shakespeare's work allow people so much to work with, inspiring their creativity in many different ways. Dance and song are already rooted in Shakespeare's original works so why not develop that even further?