非凡的故事

5 Reasons to Be Excited About the National Theatre + ProQuest

From creative re-imaginings of classic plays to illuminating archival materials, this new collection is a boon for students and researchers

By Courtney Suciu

A new partnership between ProQuest and the U.K.’s National Theatre provides unique avenues of insights and inspiration for performing arts and drama studies by making streaming video of world-class productions more widely available.

But video is only a part of it. We take a closer look at what the National Theatre is about, examples of the theatre’s inventiveness and what users can expect with access to this invaluable content through ProQuest.

The National Theatre makes world-class theatre that is for everyone

The National Theatre’s mission is to make world class theatre that’s entertaining, challenging and inspiring – and to make it for everyone.

It aims to reach the widest possible audience and to be as inclusive, diverse and national as possible with a broad range of productions that play in London, on tour around the UK, on Broadway and across the globe. The National Theatre extends its reach globally through digital programs including NT Live, which broadcasts some of the best of British theatre to over 2,500 venues in 65 countries.

It invests in the future of theatre by developing talent, creating bold new work and building audiences.

This means fresh, innovative takes on classic favorites

国家剧院对创建粗体新工作的承诺可能导致重新种植的字符，为熟悉的故事赋予令人惊讶的新深度，例如莎士比亚的Bawdy喜剧第十二夜.

In the National Theatre’s production, directed by Simon Godwin, the character of Malvolio – steward of the sought-after countess, Olivia – is reimagined as Malvolia, played by Tamsin Grieg, bringing to the Bard’s gender-bending tale of mistaken identity a twist of same-sex infatuation.

Beyond creative casting, other aspects of the play have been modernized, making it more relevant to contemporary times and culture. For example,第十二夜’ssignature musical interludes feature hep-cat jazz tunes and Olivia’s mourning veil is replaced with a chic pair of shades. Rather than detract from Shakespeare’s original, these well-considered changes affirm the play’s timeless appeal while pulling forth and emphasizing elements that resonate with today’s audiences.

It’s not just Shakespeare

Contemporary retellings of第十二夜和其他莎士比亚经典喜欢HamletandOthelloare only part of what comprises this new collection. There is an eclectic variety of performances available from ProQuest. Highlights include:

• Literary adaptations, such asMary Shelley’sFrankensteinadapted byNick Dear(2011) and directed byDanny Boyle., withBenedict CumberbatchandJonny Lee Miller
• Greek classics such asMedeabyEuripides, in a contemporary adaptation byBen Power, directed byCarrie CracknellwithHelen McCroryin the title role
• 20^th-century classics such asLorraine Hansberry’sLes Blancs.and the Young Vic’s production ofLorca’sYerma, adapted and directed bySimon StonewithBillie Piperin the title role
• Comedies such asShe Stoopsto征服byOliver Goldsmith(1773), directed byJamie Lloydwith a cast includingCush JumboandKatherine Kelly, and一个人,Two Guvnors(2011) byRichard Bean(based on the 1743 book byCarlo Goldini), directed byNicholas Hytner, and featuring詹姆斯·丁登Tony Award-winning performance

And, it’s not just video

随着这些表演的录像– enhanced with subtitles and searchable transcripts – the National Theatre Collection also includes digitized archival content including prompt scripts, costume designs and costume bibles, an essential reference for the costume department in constructing the production.

These materials provide unparalleled opportunities to study how performances take shape. For example, the video for第十二夜is supplemented with prompt scripts for understanding not only how traffic is managed on the stage, but the ways that actors’ positioning and movements channel emotion and create subtext. This inspires close examination of how the meaning of a text might change depending on performers’ physical expressions and how body language is as valuable to actors as the lines they speak.

Additionally, when an institution subscribes to other relevant ProQuest databases like ProQuest One Academic and Arts Premium collection, reviews and scholarly articles provide further context for deeper research with videos and archival content.

In the case of第十二夜, a review of Godwin’s production fromThe Stage¹provokes critical thinking about the director’s choices and the actors’ performances. Critic Natasha Tripney particularly considered how Greig’s Malvolia “rises above” interactions which “skirt uneasily close to [lesbian] stereotype.”

“Hers is a performance of great comic skill,” Tripney wrote, praising Greig’s ability to “[engage] with the audience and [convey] the full extent of the hurt and humiliation her character is subjected to.”

These observations prompt critical thinking and urge viewers of the video to consider if they agree with such assessments. In addition, alternative perspectives of the play might be sparked with articles like Chad Allen Thomas’s²scholarly analysis of other productions of第十二夜in an effort to “connect theatre practice and pedagogy” through performances “that draw on the aesthetics of queer theatre.”

他认为这种方法“可以向新一代年轻艺术家开放莎士比亚表现。”这激励我们问How does the National Theatre’s production fit in with his conclusions?

Or, researchers might discover additional layers of complexity through scholar Jami Ake’s³article “Glimpsing a ‘Lesbian’ Poetics in第十二夜,” which examines how the interview scene between Olivia and Viola/Orsino reveals “the ways that female desire finds imaginative space outside the restrictions of a thoroughly masculine Petrarchan poetics and how newly forged languages of female desire find their way into action.”

What do Ake’s observations say about Malvolia’s attraction to Olivia?

These are just some of the ways additional materials can augment content available from the National Theatre Collection.

专家说这样的话：

This is what we have been waiting for! Our university drama students need to see as many shows as possible. To be able to easily access full National Theatre productions that we comment on or use as examples in our teaching is so valuable. The NT Archive is a priceless resource, so to be able to access its treasures from afar is a huge opportunity for many more students across the globe. This is a very exciting moment and as a regular visitor to the NT Archive I am thrilled that its doors are being opened further still via this digital platform.

– Dawn Ingleson, Senior Lecturer in Drama and Performance at London South Bank University

Learn moreabout National Theatre Collection from ProQuest.

Notes:

*Image by Marc Brenner from Twelfth Night with Tamara Lawrence as Viola and Phoebe Fox as Olivia.

1. Tripney, N. (2017, Mar 02).第十二夜.The Stage. Available fromArts Premium Collection.
2. Thomas, C. A. (2010).On Queering Twelfth Night.Theatre Topics, 20(2), 101-111. Available fromProQuest One AcademicandArts Premium Collection.
3. Ake, J. (2003).Glimpsing a "Lesbian" Poetics in Twelfth Night.Studies in English Literature, 1500 - 1900，43（2），375-394,555。可用ProQuest One AcademicandArts Premium Collection.

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Courtney Suciu is ProQuest’s lead blog writer. Her loves include libraries, literacy and researching extraordinary stories related to the arts and humanities. She has a Master’s Degree in English literature and a background in teaching, journalism and marketing. Follow her @QuirkySuciu

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