W. Shakespeare at London Olympics

Each of the 38 works of English playwright William Shakespeare will be presented in different languages, from Spanish and Arabic to Urdu, the events taking place during the 2012 Olympics in London. The projects will produce different troupes from around the world.
Theatre Globe, built on the banks of the Thames where it was the theater of Shakespeare, which burned down in 1613, will hold over six weeks beginning with special performances from April 23, 2012, anniversary of death of the author.
W.Shakespeare "are for many years as an international language and have demonstrated that they follow the way people talk," says a statement of artistic director of the Globe, Dominic Drongkoul in the website of the theater.
Among the projects are "King Lear" to be presented in the language of the aborigines of Australia, and the "Love's Labour's Lost" in sign language.

The Globe Theater, Bankside in Southwark, London
The Globe, built by carpenter Peter Smith and his workers, was the most magnificent theater that London had ever seen and built in 1597 -1598. This theatre could hold several thousand people! The Globe Theatre didn’t just show plays. It was also reputed to be a brothel and gambling house. It was situated on the South bank of the river Thames in Southwark. The old Globe Theatre was a magnificent amphitheatre, as shown in the picture at the top of the page. Maps of London clearly show the architecture of the Globe Theatre, and these have enabled an approximate picture of the old Globe Theatre to be drawn. Not one inside picture of the old Globe Theatre is in existence, however, a picture of another amphitheatre, the Swan, has survived. The amphitheatres were similar in design, so the picture of the Swan Theatre can be used a good guide to the structure of the old Globe.

Picture of the Swan Theater

Shakespeare the Actor
William Shakespeare had a stake holding in the Globe Theatre and also acted in some of the productions of the plays. It is not known exactly how many roles Shakespeare played himself, although we do have some documented information. Shakespeare had began his career on the stage by 1592, because there is a surviving document by Robert Greene' Groatsworth. It is probable that Shakespeare played the title role in Edward I (a play by Edward Peele) in 1593. It is also assumed that Shakespeare played smaller roles in a variety of his own plays, including As You Like It (Adam), Macbeth (King Duncan), Henry IV (King Henry), and Hamlet (Hamlet's father). Shakespeare's first biographer, Nicholas Rowe, referring to a role by William Shakespeare as "the Ghost in his own Hamlet" and was "the top of his performance".

read more in http://www.william-shakespeare.info/william-shakespeare-globe-theatre.htm

The new Globe Theater

Margaret Price is "Gone",

The famous soprano Margaret Price is "Gone"
One of the best voices in the world, that the Welsh soprano Margaret Price, fell silent, as reported Saturday BBC. The celebrated soprano died at the age of 69 years at her home in Wales from cardiac arrest, as indicated on the website of BBC.
Born into a musical family and worked with little song, despite the objections of her father who wanted biologist.
He first appeared on stage in 1962 in the role of Saroumpin the "Marriage of Figaro" and received very flattering reviews but great talent appeared later at the Royal Opera in London when it replaced the Spanish colleague Teresa Bergkantza: Critics of the apotheosis and praised the excellent voice.
Since then her appearances in Paris, Tokyo, New York, Vienna, Munich follow each other and were all with glorification for the great artist of the Opera.

Greek shadow theater-Karagiozis

Long before the days of television, radio or even cinema there existed a different form of entertainment in Greece derived from folkloric traditions. Known as shadow theatre, or "Karagiozis" in Greek, it included paper-made puppets which were handled by one puppeteer who stood behind a white screen (a piece of cloth or a sheet were also used) that was illuminated by some source of light.

The ridiculous is the central character of the traditional Greek  shadow theater, which is often called by the name of the protagonist. Is called in Turkish Karagöz means BlackEye.  Previously, before the emergence of film and television performances of Shadows Hadziavatis and was particularly popular way of entertainment in  Greece, and now survives mainly in the form usually plays for children. Puppet show today and become an adult audience.

Different legends have developed about the origin of Shadows. 
Shadow theatre was developed in many lands, including China, India, Persia, Indochina and Asia Minor. It was often associated with the worship of the dead as well as with deities of the 'other world.'

UNCLE GEORGE

Greece is among the very few European countries that adopted shadow theatre, abandoning, however, its religious aspect and adding the provincial Greek culture's own uniqueness to it. Thus, shadow theatre slowly developed into an art form of its own kind, acquiring a Greek interpretation which also included music, acting and social satire incorporated with traditional folklore.

Prime Minister PAPANTREOU as KARAGIOZIS

The earliest evidence for a puppet show in Greece dating back to 1809 and locates in the region of Ioannina. Does representation , as described by foreign travelers Chompchaous, which is attended by Lord Byron. The first was a puppeteer in Ioannina, Gypsies and Jews. The theatrical spectacle spread , maintaining the same technical features, but also creating unique content, pumped from the Greek tradition. In Greece Karagiozis as a folk hero, representing the poor, gritty, cunning Greeks in the Turkish environment.

Humpback and is surrounded by his family, his friend Hadziavatis, his uncle Uncle George and other characters. He lives in a shack (The shack of Shadows) is barefoot and lives across from the Seraglio (palace) of the Vizier.
The themes of the works of the shadow theater is usually satirical - satirical, causing laughter in the audience and often refer to real and contemporary issues of concern to the world.
Puppet show is mentioned by Poukevil diplomat in his Voyage dans la Grèce, adopted in 1820.

Boy George returns stolen picture of Christ to Cyprus

It's a miracle: Boy George returns 300-year-old stolen picture of Christ after bishop spots it on star's wall while watching TV

For more than 25 years it formed part of Boy George’s art collection.

But after being told that the icon of Christ had been stolen from the Orthodox Church of Cyprus, the pop singer has handed it back.

Incredibly, the church bishop had seen the battered painting hanging from the wall of the singer's home while watching a documentary on him on Dutch TV.

Gilt-edged occasion: Boy George and composer John Themis with the token of gratitude given them by the Church of Cyprus after the return of the icon, held by an unnamed official with Bishop Porfyrios

Watching over him: The Icon of Christ was hanging on the right hand side of mirror in George's 'walk-in wardrobe' on the programme filmed in 2008

George, who of course has famously sung about miracles and churches with 'poisoned minds', had bought the 300-year-old piece in 1985 without knowing it had been snatched from a church during the 1974 Turkish invasion.

But Bishop Porfyrios, the Cyprus Orthodox Church’s representative in Brussels, made contact with him after spotting it above his fireplace at the gothic mansion in Hampstead, north London

Today, the 49-year-old singer handed it over to the cleric at nearby St Anagyre church.

The singer told the BBC: ‘I’m happy it is going back to its original, rightful home. I’ve always been a friend of Cyprus and have looked after the icon for 26 years.’

Mad about the boy: The bishop noticed the icon on the wall of George's home during a programme he did on the Dutch Living TV channel

Still partying: Boy George with Kylie Minogue at the an exhibition opening in London on Tuesday

In return, the bishop gave him a modern version of the Jesus Christ Pantokrator painting as a token of gratitude and ‘with the wish that others soon follow his example'.

Thousands of religious artefacts went missing from northern Cyprus following Turkey’s 1974 invasion, which left the island’s Greek and Turkish speakers divided by partition.

Many relics have since appeared on the international art market and the Cyprus Church has been actively seeking to repatriate them.

Bishop Porfyrios, who caught only a glimpse of the gold-leaf image during the show he watched, delved deeper and discovered it had been plundered from the church of St Charalambous in Neo Chorio, near Kithrea.

After verifying this with the priest from St Charalambous, he contacted the singer and told him about the icon’s provenance and he was happy to return it to its original owners without payment.

Bishop Porfyrios said of George: ‘He bought it from an art dealer in 1985, but did not know it came from occupied Cyprus, and it was bought in good faith.

‘After our contact he gave it back to Cyprus with pleasure’

George added: ‘I look forward to seeing the icon on display in Cyprus for the moment and finally to the Church of St Charalambos from where it was illegally stolen.’