This week’s events are something of a thespian’s dream. The Old Royal Naval College’s outdoor Shakespeare season starts with Henry V this week from Wednesday to Sunday evenings (plus weekend matinees) by the Rainbow Shakespeare Company. Their primary focus is usually on school theatre projects so their aim here is to make Shakespeare accessible for all the family, but they also take the traditionalist’s view that Shakespeare should be kept simple and styled of its time. Good on them if you ask me: Shakespeare just isn’t right without breeches, monologues and a vague sense of confusion about what’s going on.
Feeling a little more daring is the Black Sun Theatre Company who are staging 100% Comedy 100% Chekhov at the Greenwich Playhouse this week until 16th August. In most people’s mind the words ‘Comedy’ and ‘Chekhov’ are generally mutually exclusive – the playwright is best known for his surreal, modernist studies of misery – but apparently he did write some funny one-act plays that are summarised into a trendy ‘potted’ version here.
Firmly back in ‘serious theatre’ territory is Greenwich Theatre on Friday evening with their production To Care For, which looks at the role of older people in our society since the post-war era. With specific reference to their role as both carers and patients, the play was created out of interviews with older people and is based on their real-life experiences, so expect a real-life angle. No swords or mad kings in this one (I hope) but it should be very thought-provoking stuff.
Finally on the much lighter end of the scale, The Albany in Deptford has a comedy night on Wednesday, previewing some of the Edinburgh Festival sets by ex-Friday Night Project host Rob Rouse and up-and-coming Pippa Evans.
Are there any other events happening in Greenwich this week? Use the comments section below to tell us about them.