In Search of Shakespeare
An Introduction by Michael Wood
Michael Wood
I've loved Shakespeare's plays since I was an eleven year old at school in Manchester, when I was knocked flat by seeing the black and white film of Olivier's Hamlet in the school lecture theatre. I fell in love with Jean Simmons as Ophelia-especially the bit when she fell to the floor and her skirt split up to the thigh! That term I acted in my first Shakespeare, playing assorted devils, demons- and the goddess Juno- in the Tempest! When we were in middle school our wonderful teachers Bert Parnaby and Brian Phythian used to take us by coach to Stratford, in the days before the M6, to see all those great productions done by John Barton and others. We saw Henry IV both parts two years running with Hugh Griffith and Paul Rogers doing Falstaff, and I suppose I never recovered from that! 'Banish plump Jack' is still my favourite!! When I was at university I carried on with Shakespeare, and acted in many summer productions in college gardens, even being lucky enough to play New York and Boston and tour the Eastern States with the Dream and Twelfth Night directed by professional directors like Richard Cottrell and Jonathan Miller. (In fact, I can truly say I've played the bard on Broadway! - a long way up Broadway, but Broadway nonetheless!!!) Over the years in Oxford we did lots of Shakespeare so I guess the bard has been in my blood for 40 years.
Michael Wood researching at the Public Records Office
Funnily enough, there's never been a full scale biography of Shakespeare on TV, and I first talked about doing one twenty years ago over coffee with director David Wilson with whom I was working, - writing and presenting three films introducing Shakespeare's history plays, looking at his sources, and at his view of the Wars of the Roses as an Elizabethan artist. We shot some atmospheric scenes - in the schoolroom at Stratford, in the old library at the Bodleian and out in the landscape, for example, on the battlefield at Towton. It struck me then that it might be possible to do a life of Shakespeare, bringing to life the ideas of his times, with texts, interviews and landscapes. And I suppose that's what we have tried to do in this series, but with the massive added bonus of being able to work with Greg Doran and the RSC actors who were absolutely fantastic and a pleasure to be with. Going on the road with them for a few days was pure joy - everyone in the TV crew just wanted it to go on and on (in fact even now Rebecca is hatching plans to do another film!!!).
RSC put on Henry IV at the New Inn
I remember being in the yard after the show in Gloucester, when a man from Sheffield who was on holiday coming over with his pint and saying in a broad Yorkshire accent: 'Eeee-tonight A've seen actors going about their CRAFT!' Which is what we all felt too. So Greg, Des, Alex, Adrian, Rob.. and everyone... thank you! I hope the films do their little bit to put the next generation in touch with these marvellous works, and all their passion, excitement, and fun. And as for the author: Did we find him? At times, yes: in his tax dodging, his court case with the Mountjoys, his dad's troubles, his own sonnets in which he opens his heart. But most of all of course he lives on in the plays. And that's what came over most strongly when we were on the road with Greg and the RSC. In the end, it's the plays - in live performance - which get you closest to his wonderful intelligence, his sympathy, and his sense of humour. There was a moment though when the show was over in the New Inn, the pool table was still playing, the last pints were being pulled, Jo was looking into Nancy's eyes (as always!), and I could have sworn I saw a balding man standing back in the shadows, just observing, - as I'm sure he so often did - who smiled to himself and murmured quietly: 'Spot on Des-that's exactly how I meant Banish Plump Jack!'