Globe season Summer of Love. And Emma Rice is leaving 2018

I was under the impression that the Globe's raison d'être was to investigate the ways that Shakespeare's plays could have/would have been produced in a theatre as near to his as was possible with the information we have. If that changes - and I'm not saying that it shouldn't - then what is the real point of having a theatre space as near to Shakespeare's vision as we can make it?

That's not to say (and I agree with the philosopher AC Grayling on this point) that the plays should be preserved in aspic as I believe that doesn't do justice to Shakespeare's genius. It's precisely because directors can breathe new life into Shakespeare that Shakespeare survives and is relevant for every generation.

The dichotomy is reconciling my first paragraph point with my second.

Emma Rice seems to have failed to do this. I''m not sure there's any shame in this either for her or the Board in appointing her. Mark Rylance (that well known advocate of Shakespeare not being the author of the plays) managed it, as did Dominic Dromgoole. But I can't see there's a magic formula to be able do so.

I've mentioned here before that Rice is actually quite a conservative middle-class director whose successes like Brief Encounter, Rebecca, The Red Shoes, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg etc. appeal to a similarly conservative middle-aged demographic. She rather neatly makes this point herself by saying she'd rather listen to the Archers than watch Shakespeare. The Archers ? Seriously ? Anyone here listen to the Archers ? Her cultural references are hardly likely to be familiar to 14 year old in Nottingham. She is no doubt a good director, but not really innovative and actually a bit old fashioned when it comes to Shakespeare, we've been seeing that approach from the likes of Cheek by Jowl and Filter for decades.

It's funny, a couple of years ago we saw the archive screening of Cheek By Jowl's As You Like It from the early 90s - the one with Adrian Lester - and it struck me then how much the Globe playing style must have been influenced by CbJ. Perhaps it's just because when you're a touring production you have to get the essence across through the words and the actors - you can't rely on elaborate sets and props and complicated effects. So maybe with that line of influence running through both styles they thought they'd be able to find a common ground?

Look at all these boring people assuming the weirdly insubstantial statement of "artistic differences" was true and therefore Original Practice is confirmed to be definitely the best way and nothing else should ever be tried again, even though Rylance and Dromgoole were hardly slaves to the idea of OP and massive tradition themselves.

Quite right too, its obviously nothing to do with RSC

As posted above:

Stratford-upon-Avon's a research organisation, the Shakespeare Institute, is part of the University of Birmingham and so completely separate from the RSC which can pursue its artistic activities without the interference of a load of academics.

But Shakespeare's Globe is an educational Trust whose Board governs both the Educational Research and the Theatre, so the Globe's Theatre is always subject to academic control of its artistic programme, as has been fatally manifested this week.

We've been fortunate that Mark Rylance, Dominic Dromgoole and Emma Rice until April 2018 have been able to navigate the demands of the academics and negotiate a Theatre programme acceptable to both parties but, now that some of the academics have thrown their toys out of the pram and persuaded the Board to subjugate Theatre to Research, no future Artistic Director would feel that the Board will permit them to artistically direct.

The RSC must be basking in its relative artistic freedom.

Emma Rice remains AD until April 2018. Next year's summer season was announced earlier this week. Any Sam Wanamaker Playhouse shows in Summer 2017 are yet to be announced, and next year's Winter season in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, Emma Rice's final season, should be announced in six months time.

You omit to mention that Rice's spending on lighting etc. has depleted the funds available for the educational department - you can't absolve her of all blame for this shambles.

And rather bad form to be slagging off another company's management decisions, one might suggest.

And a rival, certainly as far as the Wanamaker Playhouse and Swan are comcerned!