There Is Nothing Like a Thane!
The Lighter Side of Macbeth
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
There is Nothing Like a Thane is a follow-up to Clive Francis's highly successful There is Nothing Like a Dane! The Lighter Side of Hamlet. Thane is a hilarious compilation of unintentional funny moments from a variety of productions of Macbeth - interwoven with Francis's witty caricatures. It also delves into the many superstitions, which have dogged the play since 1603, making it possibly the unluckiest play ever written
We hear of how some actors fared better than others when playing the role of the Thane. If Ralph Richardson's was the worst, Peter O'Toole's was certainly the funniest. Olivier was deemed the greatest, John Gielgud the must successful, and Charles Laughton the silliest. We also hear from Orson Welles, David Garrick, Charles Dickens and William McGonagall - who refused to die for fear of upsetting his audience. Not to be outdone we shall hear from a number of Lady Macbeths as well, including Sybil Thorndike, who'd pray every night in the wings so as to ward away evil spirits.
This is a book for all those who love the theater, especially the Bard.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Hamlet"is, without a doubt, the most famous play ever written; certainly the most quoted and certainly the most talked about which is amazing when you consider that there are no jokes in it." So says actor and caricaturist Francis, and for those who prefer their Shakespeare with a bit of humor, he obliges with this anthology of poems, musings and reminiscences that make light of the dark Dane. Peter O'Toole called it"the worst play ever written." The"duke" in Huckleberry Finn mangles Hamlet's soliloquy as he recites it from memory ("To be or not to be; that is the bare bodkin/That makes calamity of so long life"). And director Tony Richardson recalls his casting of Nicol Williamson as the prince in 1969--lauded at first, Williamson became a erratic after awhile: he"walked off or interrupted the show several times...to the titillation of audiences," and began overacting recklessly. This is a charming bit of fluff for Shakespeare enthusiasts.
