Cert TBA
58 mins
BBFC advice: TBA
I would not profess to being an expert in the works of Shakespeare but I do find it intriguing how the rest of the world is so fascinated with them.
Let's face it, The Bard is tough enough to understand for native English speakers so I am full of admiration for others who manage to get their heads around him.
Tim Langford and Shakir Abal's documentary follows a band of disparate Arab actors who come together to perform in Kuwait as a prelim for taking their production to Washington DC.
It concentrates more on the background to the group (it has hired actors from Lebanon, Iraq and Syria as well as Kuwait) than the play itself.
And it focuses on the logistical difficulties of getting them together as well as those of the specific preparations before putting on Richard III for a royal audience in Kuwait (you will be amazed how long it takes to find a vacuum cleaner) and then in Washington.
Sadly, however, the film is never more than skin deep and so, while I am now well aware of how difficult it is to organise a visa for the United States or how the Kuwaiti royals stand apart from their subjects, I would like to be better informed on how actors in the Middle East make enough money to survive and have access to Shakespeare.
In other words, it wouldn't have taken much to have made the movie much more engaging.
Laughs: none
Jumps: none
Vomit: none
Nudity: none
Overall rating: 5/10