Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies: Pioneering a a??Pocket-sizeda?? Lady Macbeth

摘要

This article examines the reception of Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies' Lady Macbeth opposite John Gielgud in the 1942 CEMA-funded blackout tour. The critics' obsession with her diminutive stature reflects an expectation of gender-appropriate behaviour which Ffrangcon-Davies refuted both on- and offstage. During the war both Gielgud and Ffrangcon-Davies used Shakespeare as a fundraising vehicle, giving lectures and recitals for the Red Cross arguing for his importance as a retreat in times of strife. Shakespeare's cultural capital as a patriotic signifier in times of trouble is interrogated and compared in South Africa and Britain, two intriguing and interconnected contexts which Ffrangcon-Davies bridged during the 1940s.View full textDownload full textKeywordsMacbeth, Ffrangcon-Davies, Gielgud, CEMA, South AfricaRelated var addthis_config = { ui_cobrand: "Taylor & Francis Online", services_compact: "citeulike,netvibes,twitter,technorati,delicious,linkedin,facebook,stumbleupon,digg,google,more", pubid: "ra-4dff56cd6bb1830b" }; Add to shortlist Link Permalink http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17450918.2012.705880