"The Two Gentlemen of Verona". Oxford Playhouse
This production is about so much more than just two gentlemen from Verona. It is the cultural event of the summer in Oxford. For the students involved, it’s possibly the theatrical event of their entire university career. Sir Greg Doran, recently retired Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, is the Cameron Mackintosh Visiting Professor of Contemporary Theatre for 2023-2024. He is the 29 th person to hold that post, and normally the incumbent gives three lectures during their tenure, one per term. Greg didn’t want to do that. He doesn’t see himself as a great talker (although many would disagree). But it’s fair to say he does know how to direct plays. His productions have been the Gold Standard for Shakespeare for longer than any of the actors in this production have been alive. But throughout his illustrious career, there has been one play from the fabled First Folio that has always eluded him, and that is The Two Gentlemen of Verona . So Greg decided that, for his contr