The Lydia & Manfred Gorvy Lecture Theatre, Victoria and Albert Museum.
An inter-disciplinary course that brings together leading scholars from English Literature, Italian Studies, Translation Studies and Comparative Literature, to offer an in-depth view of the fascinating dynamics between Shakespeare and Italian literary culture from the Elizabethan era to the present day.
Arranged chronologically, the sessions address the wide range of plays which Shakespeare situates in Italy, including Much Ado about Nothing, The Winter’s Tale, Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice and Othello. Besides providing close textual analyses of the individual plays, the course considers how Italian authors, actors, and composers repurposed a selection of Shakespearean characters for contemporary audiences, including the troupes of the Commedia dell’arte, Giuseppe Verdi, the first Sicilian dialect theatre company, and the recent ‘Shylock Project’.
The course thus combines the study of a variety of disciplines with more practical-based sessions — including a Commedia dell’arte mask workshop — to explain and explore the vibrant and shifting currents of transnational exchange between Shakespeare and Italy.
For bookings, please see here.
Shakespeare and Italy: From the Early Modern Period to Today. Tuesdays 14:00-16:30
11 October – Dr Chris Stamatakis
Shakespeare’s Italy: An Introduction
Much Ado about Nothing
18 October – Olly Crick
Shakespeare and the Commedia dell’arte
1 November – Dr Eric Langley
Shakespeare and Venice
The Merchant of Venice
8 November – Professor Helen Hackett
Shakespeare and Amore
Romeo and Juliet
15 November – Professor Rene Weis
Shakespeare and Italian Opera
Verdi’s Macbeth and Othello
22 November – Professor Loredana Polezzi and Dr Enza De Francisci
Translating Shakespeare in Modern Italy
For bookings, please see here.
11 October – Dr Chris Stamatakis
Shakespeare’s Italy: An Introduction
Much Ado about Nothing
18 October – Olly Crick
Shakespeare and the Commedia dell’arte
1 November – Dr Eric Langley
Shakespeare and Venice
The Merchant of Venice
8 November – Professor Helen Hackett
Shakespeare and Amore
Romeo and Juliet
15 November – Professor Rene Weis
Shakespeare and Italian Opera
Verdi’s Macbeth and Othello
22 November – Professor Loredana Polezzi and Dr Enza De Francisci
Translating Shakespeare in Modern Italy
