Bangor academic invited to lecture at Shakespeare’s Globe

Professor Helen Wilcox of Bangor University’s School of English is one of the leading academics who will be providing pre-performance lectures at the world-renowned Globe Theatre on the bank of the Thames in London. The Globe Theatre recreates the theatre of the Elizabethan era and stands a few hundred yards from its original site.

Professor Wilcox will be giving an introductory lecture in advance of the performance of Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well on Tuesday 19 July 2011 at 6pm. The lecture is one of a series providing engaging introductions to plays in the 2011 theatre season, generously supported by publishers The Arden Shakespeare.

As editor of All’s Well That Ends Well, forthcoming in the Arden Shakespeare series, Professor Wilcox says that she is: “delighted to have the opportunity to introduce members of the Globe audience to this fascinating tragicomedy, often referred to as one of Shakespeare’s ‘problem plays’”.

Professor Wilcox will discuss some of the major features of the drama which make it so immediate and appealing, including its representation of love and the power of sexual attraction, its treatment of torture and warfare, its attitude to religion, and the ways in which it portrays women.

“One abiding uncertainty concerning this powerful play is whether or not it has the conventional happy ending expected of a comedy: to what extent is the title ironic, or does all really end well?” she says.

A regular feature of the Globe’s summer theatre season, Setting the Scene is enduringly popular with audiences. This year sees an increase in the number of sessions from previous seasons, with two lectures running most weeks throughout the summer. Another innovation is the introduction of a Globe actor to each session, who will read extracts from the play and from other academic sources to illustrate the lecture.

Looking forward to the series, Dr Farah Karim-Cooper, Head of Courses and Research at Globe Education and one of the academics featured in the season, commented: “This lecture series demonstrates Globe Education's commitment to sharing the knowledge of the world's leading scholars with audiences from a wide range of backgrounds. Now that we have actors working with the scholars to illustrate the lectures, we are able to showcase the dynamic relationship between scholarship and performance that is so unique to Shakespeare's Globe.”

Margaret Bartley, Publisher, The Arden Shakespeare commented, “The Arden Shakespeare is delighted to continue its 9 year association with the Globe. The innovative learning opportunities it offers schools, colleges and the wider public are unique and do a great deal to introduce and inspire thousands of visitors each year. This matches the aims of Arden Shakespeare editions to broaden understanding and appreciation of the plays both in performance and in the classroom.”

The Setting the Scene lectures are part of Globe Education’s summer events season.

Booking is open now at www.shakespearesglobe.com

Publication date: 18 July 2011