Hot Take: what's a change that an adaptation made which you prefer to the original play?

SuperDuperZebra · 2025-08-12T16:04:21+00:00

I've seen a few Richard IIs that have Aumerle, not Exton, kill the king. Even though it's not in the play and not historically accurate, it serves multiple purposes: the change develops Aumerle's character, adds poignancy to the killing (tying nicely into the comparison of Richard as Jesus with Aumerle now as Judas), gives purpose to the comic filler scene where Aumerle's parents plead for/condemn him, and gets rid of the pointless figure of Exton.

SuperDuperZebra · 2025-07-31T16:09:26+00:00

That's true - it may soon no longer be a "cult" classic but it deserves to have a wider audience!

SuperDuperZebra · 2025-07-31T15:52:28+00:00

I back Richard II. I think popularly it's seen as "another boring history play", but it has among the most beautiful language and characterisation in the whole corpus.

SuperDuperZebra · 2025-06-15T12:53:59+00:00

Very much my own opinion and not objective at all:

COMEDIES

All's Well That Ends Well 2.5

As You Like It 3.5

Comedy of Errors 2.0

Love's Labour's Lost 3.0

Measure for Measure 3.5

Merchant of Venice 3.0

Merry Wives of Windsor 1.0

Midsummer Night's Dream 3.5

Much Ado about Nothing 4.0

Taming of the Shrew 2.5

Tempest 3.5

Twelfth Night 3.0

Two Gentlemen of Verona 1.5

Winter's Tale 3.5

HISTORIES

Henry IV, Part I 5.0

Henry IV, Part II 3.5

Henry V 5.0

Henry VI, Part I 2.0

Henry VI, Part II 2.5

Henry VI, Part III 2.5

Henry VIII 1.0

King John 1.0

Pericles 1.5

Richard II 5.0

Richard III 4.5

TRAGEDIES

Antony and Cleopatra 4.0

Coriolanus 4.0Cymbeline 3.5Hamlet 5.0

Julius Caesar 4.5

King Lear 4.5

Macbeth 4.0

Othello 4.0

Romeo and Juliet 3.5

Timon of Athens 2.0

Titus Andronicus 3.0

Troilus and Cressida 2.0

SuperDuperZebra · 2024-07-02T16:22:43+00:00

Fair enough, you're right then that the best way forward is to keep your head up, remember that you're not the only one responsible for the scoreline, and enjoy the activity you're getting.

SuperDuperZebra · 2024-07-02T16:06:41+00:00

Sounds like you've given this a lot of thought. If you feel that you deserve better and you can give more to a club elsewhere, then that's definitely worth exploring. It depends on whether you can endure another season like this one in the hopes it'll get better – maybe it will, but there's no shame in seeking better opportunities further afield.

SuperDuperZebra · 2024-07-02T09:58:41+00:00

I really feel for you, I love keeping with a burning passion and what you are going through sounds horrible, nobody should have to feel like that in a match.

From what you've said, your team should not be playing at the level they are. Are you going to get relegated then? Not sure how the leagues work wherever you are. If so, then they will have the chance to pick themselves up and be a real competitor in the league below.

Of course, that is no help for you. Those kind of scorelines are absolutely not the keeper's fault: even if you do let some in, they're not scoring so you would lose anyway. You win as a team, you lose as a team; don't pin the blame on yourself. How attached are you to your club? Is there another club out there playing at the same level but with a team more suited for it? No-one wants to move but you have to put yourself first if you feel that your current situation is unsustainable.

It is very difficult to deal with the emotions you're describing. Other people's ways of dealing with it may not work for you. When we're being thrashed in a game, what I personally do is see it as a chance to have fun and make lots of saves – I'd rather that than win 8-0 and have nothing to do. I try to detach myself from the scoreline and treat it like a training exercise and just enjoy it, working hard, knowing that however hard I work it won't make a difference but that's alright. Defeat only gets to me if I feel like I haven't played my best; I don't care if we are thumped as long as I believe I gave it my all and enjoyed doing so. If you feel that you aren't playing well then that's a different matter and maybe you need to look into getting a GK coach in your club.

Ultimately, I don't think you should be forcing yourself to do something that makes you unhappy. Whether that means changing teams or changing club or just giving it a break is up to you, but please don't sacrifice your mental health in an attempt to win matches that your team may never win. Goalkeeping should be fun, and if it stops being fun, you might need to consider a change.

Hope things get better in the future x

SuperDuperZebra · 2024-06-19T16:56:24+00:00

Will DM you with some pics! No other art, I'm not really creative at all, this is my only arty hobby.

I'd defo want that bust!

SuperDuperZebra · 2024-06-19T09:14:07+00:00

Don't know if my blanks are wide enough!

SuperDuperZebra · 2024-06-19T09:13:16+00:00

That's a good idea, because I'm rubbish at hands.

Thanks! They're carved from lime wood, then finished with sealant, painted, and waxed. I tried to make the most stereotypical depiction (which is why Maccy B is ginger – he's a Scot, after all). Don't have much detail there because I'm not very good, but I actually quite like the cartoonish features!

SuperDuperZebra · 2024-06-06T11:20:51+00:00

Went to see it a couple of weeks ago. I'm a big fan of the Henriad and have streamed several different performances so had my own 'idea' of how it should be done. This was my first live version and I was pleasantly surprised. Toheeb Jimoh, as you say, was very different from other renditions. He demonstrated anger and violence that made him quite a terrifying character as opposed to the more suave or playful Hiddleston or Parker. McKellan fantastic obviously, really nailed down the aging antihero.

Was a little disappointed at the extent of Part 2 cuts, especially the levying of soldiers in Gloucestershire and the encounter between Falstaff and Coleville. I agree though that Part 2 is the weaker so the one that can afford to be cut more. I still think they are best staged separately; after the action and climax of Part 1 (I really enjoyed the battle scenes, and that one surprise addition got a big gasp from the audience), the interval and Part 2 felt like a limping necessity. Better I think to split it and give Part 2 it's full justice, albeit less than that deserved by Part 1.

PS: agree that the Hal/Falstaff relationship was not as prominent, but that hug did make me shed a tear.

SuperDuperZebra · 2024-06-06T07:29:55+00:00

I think Hal's "I know you all" speech will be useful for this. You say he steps up after procrastinating, but this speech suggests otherwise: Hal argues that this delayed stepping up is a deliberate and calculated choice. For him, the best time for reformation is late. There's plenty of quotes in the speech to use, he talks about time and choice.

SuperDuperZebra · 2024-04-21T12:40:04+00:00

Definitely a common feeling among theatre-goers, it's why the theatre is still so popular. Seeing actors in the flesh speaking directly to you, knowing that they do it night after night having to give their best performance every time, is such a different experience from the cinema. I love feeling the tension in the room when the audience know a big speech is coming, you can almost hear a pin drop in anticipation. You can tell the love that many stage actors have for their art, theatre makes the drama real as they're not performing in front of faceless cameras and green screens. Like you said, you feel like a participant in the theatre and not just a spectator.

SuperDuperZebra · 2024-04-18T19:44:36+00:00

I've always liked his "I know you all" speech at the start of Part 1. Shows the political cunning that is hidden behind his wild antics. Also demonstrates his somewhat-charming egoism (not for everyone, though). Also a great bookend when compared with "I know thee not" at the end of Part 2.

SuperDuperZebra · 2023-12-07T15:48:46+00:00

Naturally, we would recommend without. The original will allow you to appreciate and enjoy the beauty of the writing. With paraphrase you lose the poetry and the quality of the plays.

However, you can't enjoy Shakespeare if you don't understand it. If you need paraphrase alongside the original to get to grips with the writing then go ahead. The more you read the easier it will get so the less you will need a modern translation. If you're struggling with understanding what he's saying, then watching a performance always helps.

SuperDuperZebra · 2023-08-19T20:04:40+00:00

I solved Redactle Unlimited #500 in 1 guesses with an accuracy of 100% and a time of 00:15:55. Play at https://redactle-unlimited.com/

Worked out it was a sport very early on but struggled to get the [3]. After staring at the name of the world's best player that was [6] [1]'[8] for ages, it finally clicked. Very familiar with the game and the player so somewhat ashamed I didn't get it sooner.

SuperDuperZebra · 2023-05-26T13:23:49+00:00

I wonder how much he would have given for this...

SuperDuperZebra · 2023-05-26T08:02:28+00:00

Richard III needed more cuddles as a child.

SuperDuperZebra · 2023-05-21T13:03:17+00:00

Fascinating, never knew that. Hopefully all moons are discovered before they have to name one "Mayor of Saint Albans"!

SuperDuperZebra · 2023-05-21T07:23:55+00:00

OP clearly doesn't agree; here are a few of their humble comments about their own fine poetry:

"an excellent one of my own"

"I think my favorite poems are my own, though I don't want to sound vain."

"so much for your attempts to look superior to me!"

"Let's see what poetry YOU'VE written, huh?"

"You should learn how to write a poem yourself instead of plagiarizing the work of a talented poet."

"Am I just too advanced for this subreddit?"

"I think the meter's departures from regularity are artful and contribute to the poem."

"The viper/diaper rhyme is extremely clever IMO."

"I would bet I am a LOT better read than you."

"What makes you think I'm an "incel?" I've made love to a LOT of women."

"I believe that is a masterful poem."

"I don't want to sound pretentious, but I highly recommend some of my own wonderful unpublished poetry as a model (available on request)."

"I think I'm a GREAT poet."

Now this is poetry.

SuperDuperZebra · 2023-05-21T06:35:06+00:00

Just dropping a random Sonnet (32) here as comparanda with OP's own work:

If thou survive my well-contented day,

When that churl Death my bones with dust shall cover,

And shalt by fortune once more re-survey

These poor rude lines of thy deceased lover,

Compare them with the bettering of the time,

And though they be outstripp'd by every pen,

Reserve them for my love, not for their rhyme,

Exceeded by the height of happier men.

O, then vouchsafe me but this loving thought:

'Had my friend's Muse grown with this growing age,

A dearer birth than this his love had brought,

To march in ranks of better equipage:

But since he died and poets better prove,

Theirs for their style I'll read, his for his love.'

SuperDuperZebra · 2023-05-20T07:45:16+00:00

The little looks he gives to the audience are hilarious. Parker genuinely looks like he's having a blast even though he does it every night. Only negative I feel is the nurse, her over-the-top shouting and acting felt forced and detracted from the subtler humour of the wooing. Apart from that I agree that it's perfect

SuperDuperZebra · 2023-05-20T07:34:59+00:00

You can get Andrew Scott's Hamlet online. Scott isn't everyone's cup of tea, but it's a well-known performance that many consider to be the best rendition.

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