Shakespeare Magazine 9

Welcome
Welcome
to Issue 9 of Shakespeare Magazine
Photo: David Hammonds
A few months ago I strolled into Bristol’s Odeon cinema, paid
the princely sum of five pounds, took my seat in the front row,
and settled down to watch Michael Fassbender and Marion
Cotillard in the epic new film of Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
One evening soon after, I drove to the Bristol Cineworld, where
I sat enthralled by the NT Live screening of Benedict Cumberbatch
in Hamlet. Around the same time, we could have seen brilliant
Shakespeare spoof Bill in UK cinemas, while encore screenings of
Tom Hiddleston’s Coriolanus were on the way. And screenings of Alex
Hassell in Henry V and Kenneth Branagh and Judi Dench in The
Winter’s Tale were not too far behind.
Apart from enjoying these films and screenings myself, I’ve also
enjoyed seeing the often delighted reactions of Shakespeare fans all
over the world. And I’ve learned some interesting facts along the way.
Did you know that Cumberbatch’s Hamlet was screened in 85% of
UK cinemas? And that its biggest single audience was in Bristol? Not
the screening I was at, but the Vue cinema over at Cribbs Causeway,
where a staggering eight screens were packed out.
To celebrate the rise and rise of Shakespeare on screen, this issue’s
cover star is the superb Tom Hiddleston as Coriolanus.
Let me also take the opportunity to wish you all a happy and
rewarding 2016. Of course, it’s set to be another huge year for
Shakespeare, so we’d better brace ourselves!
Enjoy your magazine.
Pat Reid, Founder & Editor
SHAKESPEARE magazine 3