O, had I but followed the arts!
William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night
Sally McLean on Shakespeare in a Pandemic
The third season of Sally McLean’s award-winning Shakespeare Republic series sees actors perform monologues from Shakespeare in their own homes. The Australian director tells us about putting the season together in lockdown, and why Shakespeare resonates so strongly during the pandemic.
Melbourne filmmaker wins top award for series made entirely in lockdown
Melbourne actor/director, Sally McLean talks about directing actors all over the world via the internet in real time for her new Shakespeare web series – Shakesepeare Republic – The Lockdown Chronicles. With host Shelley Ware. Live interview on Saturday Afternoon, ABC Radio.
Note: interview now housed on main Shakespeare Republic website, due to no longer being in the ABC public archive.
Twenty four actors from six cities around the world have been working remotely via the internet since April with Melbourne actor/director, Sally McLean, rehearsing and filming the latest season of her internationally award-winning web series, Shakespeare Republic.
Online theatre emerges from the wings
When Sally McLean first realised that COVID-19 was going to change the world, she was just finishing up work for Shorts Relief: Flicks for the Fire … The Melbourne-based actor, director and playwright says that despite “seeing the writing on the wall” for the arts – specifically live theatre – back in March, she decided to go ahead with her culturally diverse anthology series, Shakespeare Republic, anyway.
Melbourne Shakespeare Digital Series Filmed on Three Continents And In Lockdown
In keeping with Shakespeare Republic’s penchant for bringing Shakespeare into the 21st century, this new stand-alone season of the series places Shakespeare’s characters firmly in the middle of the 2020 pandemic, exploring a range of human experiences that currently connect us despite our physical separation – all using Shakespeare’s original text.
Award-winning Shakespeare Series Premieres Season Filmed On Three Continents Entirely In Lockdown
Shakespeare Republic: #AllTheWebsAstage (The Lockdown Chronicles) premiered online on Friday, August 7. The first two seasons of Shakespeare Republic have been officially selected and screened at over 80 international film festivals and won over 30 awards from over 70 nominations to date including Best Director, Best Web Series and Best Ensemble Cast in numerous festivals and industry awards around the world.
This new season of the work features professional actors based in Australia, the US & UK, with credits from Broadway, the West End, The Globe Theatre in London and Shakespeare in the Park (New York), as well as roles in mainstream film & TV
Creating, directing and
adapting a series over Zoom
She’s got a bit of a thing for Shakespeare. Sally McLean is an actor, writer and director who fondly remembers the chilly
winter days spent on her favourite Peninsula beach writing poetry. Kate Sears speaks to Sally about creating the web series via Zoom during a global pandemic, with both established and emerging actors from all over the world, and what led to this moment.
No Rest for the Weekend Podcast Interview
In-depth review with Republic creator/director, Sally McLean and discussion about how Shakespeare Republic Season Three – #AllTheWebsAStage (The Lockdown Chronicles) was made during global lockdowns in 2020.
Genny speaks with Shakespeare Republic!
What’s your worst moment on stage? How do you do byte-sized Shakespeare? How do you create a 24 episode series, working with actors from all over the world, while you’re all in lockdown in your homes and therefore never being in the same room at any time during the entire process? These questions and more are asked and answered on this edition of Bard Brunch! (plus … cupcakes!)
Note: interview now housed on main Shakespeare Republic website, due to no longer being in the public archive.
An award-winning actress, writer and director, Sally McLean is currently the Creator/Director and lead ensemble member of the critically acclaimed and internationally award-winning web series Shakespeare Republic, alongside fellow cast Nadine Garner, Michala Banas, Alan Fletcher, Christopher Kirby and Dean Haglund.
Aussie Shakespeare series wins big internationally
This new award streak began with wins for Best International Series and Best Director for creator/actor/ director, Sally McLean at the NYC Web Fest in November 2020.
Fellow nominees in the Best Director category were Daytime Emmy Award winner and documentary maker, Patricia Zagarella and Canadian Screen Award nominee (and former Buffy: The Vampire Slayer actor), Fab Filippo.
The Australian ‘Shakespeare Republic #allthewebsastage (The Lockdown Chronicles)’ navigates between drama and comedy. The production is based on the award-winning ‘Shakespeare Republic’, a ‘web series’ developed in two seasons, between 2015 and 2017, which was based on texts by the English bard. Its creator, Sally McLean, takes up the idea in the context of the pandemic. (in Spanish)
Shakespeare Republic #allthewebsastage (The Lockdown Chronicles) navigates between drama and comedy. Its creator, Sally McLean, takes up the idea of a previous web series in the context of the pandemic. It has been shot in London, Glasgow, Melbourne, New York and Los Angeles. (in Spanish)
Fourteen projects of web series fight for the Moon of València in Cinema Jove
The Australian “Shakespeare Republic #allthewebsastage” navigates between drama and comedy in a series shot in London, Glasgow, Melbourne, New York and Los Angeles, with 24 actors who use the characters and texts of Shakespearean classics to reflect on mental problems or the death of a loved one. (in Spanish)
2020 NYC Web Fest Announces Line-Up & Award Nominees Ahead of Virtual Festival
The seventh annual NYC Web Fest (NYCWF), which will be screened virtually this year, is just days away, and they’ve recently announced their official selections for 2020. A total of 52 projects from around the world, have been chosen, which will include web series, pilot episodes, and short episodes.
FEATURED LISTING
Need that live theatre fix? Welcome to our Stage & Stream guide for the second week of September!
This is our pick of streaming theatre, cabaret, podcasts and artist opportunities for the week ahead, with a focus on the best independent productions in Australia and NZ.