Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
This is a live-stream of the lecture. An edited version of the lecture will be uploaded in due course.
Have a Question? No Registration Required
https://app.sli.do/event/oZtojPwQVS94hb3zE9RR9z
A lecture by Emma Smith
How Shakespeare is performed in contemporary theatre and film raises sometimes heated questions about representation, politics, and relevance. Should – must? – Richard III be played by an actor with a disability? Do we need to ameliorate, or apologise for, or historicise, attitudes to race or gender in, for example, The Merchant of Venice or Othello? Should Shakespeare speak for us now, or do we owe an obligation to the past world which created these plays?
The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website:
gresham.ac.uk/whats-on/shakespeare-now
Gresham College has offered free public lectures for over 400 years, thanks to the generosity of our supporters. There are currently over 2,500 lectures free to access. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest minds. To support Gresham's mission, please consider making a donation: gresham.ac.uk/support
Website: gresham.ac.uk
Twitter: twitter.com/greshamcollege
Facebook: facebook.com/greshamcollege
Instagram: instagram.com/greshamcollege
This is a live-stream of the lecture. An edited version of the lecture will be uploaded in due course.
Have a Question? No Registration Required
https://app.sli.do/event/oZtojPwQVS94hb3zE9RR9z
A lecture by Emma Smith
How Shakespeare is performed in contemporary theatre and film raises sometimes heated questions about representation, politics, and relevance. Should – must? – Richard III be played by an actor with a disability? Do we need to ameliorate, or apologise for, or historicise, attitudes to race or gender in, for example, The Merchant of Venice or Othello? Should Shakespeare speak for us now, or do we owe an obligation to the past world which created these plays?
The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website:
gresham.ac.uk/whats-on/shakespeare-now
Gresham College has offered free public lectures for over 400 years, thanks to the generosity of our supporters. There are currently over 2,500 lectures free to access. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest minds. To support Gresham's mission, please consider making a donation: gresham.ac.uk/support
Website: gresham.ac.uk
Twitter: twitter.com/greshamcollege
Facebook: facebook.com/greshamcollege
Instagram: instagram.com/greshamcollege
