If you could watch any historic theatre performances, which one(s) would you pick?

[AllaMova]

Inspired my a commenter on one of my previous threads (whose username I’ve forgotten - sorry.)

Admittedly, there are so many, which I’d chose including:

Hedda Gabler and Ghosts (both starring Alla Nazimova - my namesake!)

The Glass Menagerie (staring Laurette Taylor)

Hamlet (staring John Barrymore)

The Lady of the Camellias (staring Sarah Bernhardt)

Little Foxes (staring Tallulah Bankhead)

(And many more)

Return to the forbidden planet.

Rock musical based on the tempest

Antony and Cleopatra with Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh in 1951.

Pretty much everything the Globe theatre had 1599-1613.

That would be on my list too, but I didn’t want to be too greedy. 😁 Them in Macbeth too.

I’ve just been reading a book on the Regency period, and I’d love to watch Macbeth with Sarah Siddons and John Kemble, or anything with Edmund Kean.

I’d also love to have been able to see a Shakespeare play performed when he was alive!

I know we have the film, but seeing Vivian Leigh play Blanch DuBois on stage must have been amazing.

Would also have loved to see Judi Dench and Ian McKellen’s Macbeth live rather than on the little telly on its trolley that we watched it on at school 🤣

I did see it but I’d kill to see it again. Nigel Hawthorne in The Madness of George III. Early 90s.

The original Black Comedy with Derek Jacobi. I’ve seen a more recent version which was excellent but Derek Jacobi!! It’s so funny.

Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet with Vivian Leigh and Laurence Olivier

I'm not the world's biggest Shakespeare fan, but I'd love to have seen the 30s production of Romeo and Juliet where John Gielgud and Laurence Olivier alternated the roles of Romeo and Mercutio.

Ooh I saw that! Late 80s? Excellent show. They should definitely have a revival.

The David Tennant Hamlet was on at the RDC when I was doing my dissertation on Hamlet. Mum tried to her us tickets but they were sold out. I have since seen a much more recent Hamlet at the RSC with my husband.

Rent. I would sing the entire soundtrack!

Ohhhh. I didn’t even know it was recorded…

Cabaret with Alan Cummimg and Jane Horrocks at the Donmar Warehouse

I'd have liked to have seen the first Gilbert and Sullivan Operetta, Thespis, in 1871. Most of the music is lost.

Antony Sher as RIII

Carmen

One of the first - to witness shock and scandal firsthand. I would have loved it!!

How is this historic though? There have been multiple productions of Rent in recent years. Do you mean a particular production from the past?

It’s nice to see a lot of Laurence Olivier fans on this thread.

@ToadRage. We tried to get tickets for David tennant in hamlet but it sold out however we did get tickets for him in loves labours lost at Stratford which was excellent. I would loved to have been to the original globe, been to the modern one which is pretty good

Would love to see Kenneth Brannagh’s 1993 film production of Much Ado About Nothing live in theatre. I studied it for A level as an adult student and in my opinion Shakespeare’s best comedy and a bit underrated. The acting was amazing and the setting was exquisite; obviously wouldn’t be able to recreate that on stage.

Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart in Waiting For Godot. Any Shakespeare with Judy Dench!

I saw David Tennant as Macbeth. It was good, and some of the staging was excellent, but it was slightly odd. Wearing the headsets felt weird.

I would LOVE to have seen the 'A View from the Bridge' with Mark Strong, live. It is electric, even as a recording. I saw him in Oedipus and barely breathed.

Would also loved to have seen Judi D doing Shakespeare. Loved her memoir on those roles.

Peter Hall's Anthony and Cleopatra with Judi Dench and Anthony Hopkins at the National Theatre in 1987.