From the Lighthouse

A HSC Enrichment Session with Associate Professor Paul Sheehan on the play The Crucible (Common English Module: Texts and Human Experiences)

A HSC Enrichment Session with Professor Louise d'Arcens on The Tempest and the novel Hag-Seed (Advanced English Module: Texts and Conversations)

A HSC Enrichment Session with Dr Stephanie Russo on Richard III and the film Looking for Richard (Advanced English Module: Textual Conversations)

Shakespeare's Macbeth is so good that we can't stop thinking about it, or talking about it. This week, Stephanie, Jimmy and Kirstin discuss the appeal of the Scottish play, as well as the best and worst adaptations.

Join Jimmy Van and Michelle Hamadache as they discuss all things Titus Andronicus. Listen in to hear what they thought of the Bell Theatre Company's Sydney production of the play (not much!), and you'll also get to hear some insights into Shakespeare's original vision for what is a very bloody play. Warning: Both original play and the Bell production are rife with graphic scenes of sexual violence and mutilation. These topics are discussed during the podcast, so please be aware and listen accordingly.

Mary Queen of Scots seems to be having a moment, with new films and plays about the Scottish queen's relationship with her cousin, Elizabeth I, recently released. This week, Michelle and Jimmy chat to Steph about one of her favourite subjects: the enduring appeal of Tudor queens. 

Alison Lyssa, playwright, writer and poet, discusses her groundbreaking feminist play Pinball. Pinball, a play about a young lesbian couple fighting the patriarchy for custody of one of the women's son, was labelled 'feminist chauvinist piggery' in the Australian Press in the 80s when it was first performed. Now a set-text in universities in the UK and re-staged by Duck Duck Goose in 2014, Pinball and its playwright, Alison Lyssa, remain cutting edge in contemporary Australia. 

Christopher Marlowe, the big Renaissance playwright before Shakespeare, was murdered on May 30, 1593. To mark the 425th anniversary of his death, Stephanie is joined by Professor Tony Cousins to talk about his life, his plays, and why he became so popular in the 1980s. 

Is Oscar Wilde's play about a woman of no importance or a man of no importance? To celebrate the 125th anniversary of the play, Stephanie and Lee discuss comedy, tragedy, and the confusing appeal of aestheticism.

To be or not to be? Is that the question? This week, Stephanie is joined by Professor Tony Cousins to discuss one of Shakespeare's most popular plays. Is this really a play about somebody who can't make up their mind or is it more complicated than that?