QUESTION: Analyse contemporary Shakespeare productions with reference to live performances you may have seen or clips or footage available online. You should comment on what you notice about them and how they differ from what you know about the original performance conditions of Shakespeare’s work? (Don’t be afraid to point out the obvious).

In contemporary performances of Shakespeare, the technology available is obviously much more advanced than when it was performed in the Elizabethan period. Set was very bare in Shakespeare's time and usually still is when his plays are performed at the globe, where as now sets can obviously be an integral part of the play. In the Much Ado production with David Tennant, had a revolving stage, this allowed for fluid scene changes and for characters to enter and exit naturally without slowing the pace of the play. It also gives the stage a centre, having such a clear focal point makes it easy for the audience to engage with the performance and stay invested. There is now the opportunity of lighting, a medium to available to Shakespeare. This can obviously indicate the time of day, the atmosphere of the scene or whether its inside or outside. 

The advanced set also means audiences don't have to strain their imaginations as much beacuse the set can obviously be as grand as needed in proffessional productions. For example the audience know where David Tennant is the Much Ado production because the set is an obviosous indicator. 

The language in the play is usually changed in places. Cuts are made, contempoary language is added in, and improvisation is implemeted. Because in modern times Shakespeare can be like a different language, therfore the main objective is to obviously communicate the story of the play to the audience. Plays may be set in contempoeary locations that act as leverage for the audience to relate to.