• ‘“Come unbutton here”: McKellen’s King Lear as Dramatic Censorship of the Flesh’

    Author(s):
    Kevin A. Quarmby (see profile)
    Date:
    2013
    Group(s):
    LLC Shakespeare
    Subject(s):
    Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616, Theater, Literature--Adaptations
    Item Type:
    Conference proceeding
    Conf. Title:
    Teatro do mundo: teatro e censura
    Conf. Org.:
    Universidade do Porto. Centro de Estudos Teatrais
    Conf. Loc.:
    Porto, Portugal
    Conf. Date:
    6-7 July 2012
    Tag(s):
    Shakespeare in performance, Royal Shakespeare Company, Shakespeare, Shakespeare performance, Global Shakespeare
    Permanent URL:
    http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/nqgf-5c56
    Abstract:
    This essay explores the covert censorship of Shakespeare production nudity by Western and Eastern theater and television companies. Using Ian McKellen's 2007 RSC King Lear as its case study, the essay considers the economic and political pressures brought to bear on the RSC by those seeking to prevent the perceived corruption of young people, and the resulting compliance of the play's producing company, which appeared concerned less with its aesthetic or creative freedom, and more with loss of revenue. This essay argues that, rather than political or religious sensitivities, the educationally-driven marketplace now represents the principal threat to freedom of theatrical expression, with theater creatives choosing to adapt their productions for purely economic, rather than ideologically or culturally sensitive reasons.
    Notes:
    Originally presented as the keynote for the 2012 University of Porto conference, Teatro do mundo: teatro e censura.
    Metadata:
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    Published as:
    Conference proceeding     Show details
    Pub. DOI:
    ISBN: 978-989-95312-4-6
    Publisher:
    Universidade do Porto. Centro de Estudos Teatrais
    Pub. Date:
    2013
    Proceeding:
    ‘“Come unbutton here”: McKellen’s King Lear as Dramatic Censorship of the Flesh’
    Page Range:
    17 - 39
    Status:
    Published
    Last Updated:
    4 years ago
    License:
    Attribution
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