Yolanda's blog

Considered the best theatrical director of the 20th century and one of the great renovators of contemporary theatre, Peter Brook, who has also directed opera and film, has worked on stages throughout Europe and in countries such as India, South Africa and Iran, among others. His works, which embrace almost all theatrical styles, include titles such as  Measure for Measure  (1950),  The Tempest (1955) and  The Visit  (1958), as well as  King Lear  (1962),  The Screens  (1964),  Marat-Sade  (1964),  Timon of Athens  (1974),  Ubu Rey  (1977),  The Cherry Orchard  (1981),  The Conference of the Birds  (1976) and the opera  La Tragédie de Carmen  (1981)

What caused the bad weather that Mary and Percy Shelley experienced while on vacation? What were some negative consequences of this weather around the world? How did the real-life weather in Switzerland impact Mary Shelley’s novel “Frankenstein”? Describe the circumstances in which “Frankenstein” was written. What does “Frankenstein” show us about the connections between climate and literature? According to scholar John Clubbe, how does the story of “Frankenstein” parallel the story of global warming? TRANSCRIPT

Two famous authors, CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien, had a deep friendship. CS Lewis helped JRR Tolkien get published, but Tolkien admitted he didn’t even like Lewis’ work, especially "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe," which he thought was terrible. Both were Christians and heavily influenced by Christian ideology. Tolkien says "Lord of the Rings" was a deeply Catholic book, while Lewis was more influenced by writers of the Renaissance who were fascinated by Pagan mythology. Listen as this radio story explores the two authors' friendship and motivations. Listening Comprehension Questions: What impact did Tolkien have on Lewis’ personal religious belief? How was Lewis responsible for Tolkien being a published author? Lewis was a fan of Tolkien’s work. How did Tolkien feel about "The Chronicles of Narnia" by Lewis? How did Lewis and Tolkien see fantasy differently? What other time periods and legacies influenced Tolkien? What influenced L...

Shakespeare and Don Quixote author Cervantes died 400 years ago: both their deaths are recorded on 23 April 1616. Can you distinguish between their quotes – or is thou a cream-faced loon?  TAKE THE QUIZ

PD James is one of Britain's most admired and best loved writers. Long considered the queen of crime and the doyenne of detective novelists, she has a large readership beyond the confines of the genre. In this interview with Jennifer Byrne, PD James discusses her amazing career and her two big interests - the detective novel and Jane Austen. TRANSCRIPT

On Wednesday, 19th at Cisneros Primary School,  THE    POCKET OXFORD THEATRE COMPANY are going to perform this play. You can watch this summary to get an idea of what the story is about.

Interview with Doris Lessing  CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE INTERVIEW Interview with the 2007 Nobel Laureate in Literature Doris Lessing at her home in London, 14 April 2008. The interviewer is Professor John Mullan. Doris Lessing talks about the inspiration for her first book, 'The Grass is Singing', the autobiographical nature of her 'Children of Violence' sequence of novels (10:29), 'The Golden Notebook' (12:23) and how it became a cult book (21:30), and why she took a foray into science fiction writing with her 'Canopus in Argos' series of novels (22:50). She also talks about the two novels she published under the pseudonym Jane Somers (26:45), why her autobiographies go no further than 1962 (36:55), and being an earth mother in the 1960s (37:20). Finally, she discusses her latest novel, 'Alfred and Emily', which explores the life of her parents and the horrors of war (44:30).

BIOGRAPHY :  http://www.gradesaver.com/author/charles-dickens/   The Victorian era was one of the most remarkable periods of British history; it saw the Industrial Revolution, the birth of an empire and advances in medicine, transport and education. It was also a time when harsh working conditions and desperate poverty blighted the majority of the population, conjuring images of the orphan boy Oliver Twist. This DVD uses dramatised readings, expert analysis and extensive period imagery to present a view of a time when the British Empire was at its zenith but also when conditions for the vast populace were perhaps at their low est.