A unique performance of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure played by the Charles University Workshop Production and directed by John Martlew takes place in theatre Divadlo Na Prádle. The actors are non native speakers from the whole university. Tickets for the superb performances on the 24th, 26th and 29th March, where the amateur actors give the performances of a lifetime, are still available

It is the eleventh year of the production led by the former English lector at the Faculty of Arts, John Martlew: “Since I moved back to the UK, I always come to Prague in November for the Thanksgiving Day and I cast the play. We usually have five, six weeks to prepare the play. We spend two or three hours practising every day. When we begun, it was much easier, the students were not working, so we had even more time.”

Because of the age of the students, the Charles University Workshop Production does not usually perform tragedies. This year’s play was rediscovered in the 20^th century and the last performance was by the Royal Shakespeare Society. The play has a Christian background and is full of black humour.

It was written in 1604, after the plague, in a politically unstable period, which led to Guy Fawkes Night. One of the aspect of the play, how to manipulate people, might be familiar to the viewers who are aware of the Czech political situation.

“We students love to take part in the plays and it is amazing to work with John”, stated Michaela Graeberova, a student of English.  

The production started as a learning exercise during John’s English course and was intended not to be a production, but due to popular demand Martlew changed his mind. The entire production is managed on a relatively small budget, partly funded by the Mathesius foundation of the Faculty of Arts.

P.K.