For immediate release
MEDIA RELEASE
SHAKING IT WITH SHAKESPEARE - A PHILATELIC TRIBUTE TO
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, THE WORLD’S GREATEST PLAYWRIGHT
10 Things You Never Knew About Shakespeare and the Tudor Times
st
The First Folio of Shakespeare – Facsimile, 21 Century
1. Shakespeare is a world-famous writer, but nobody knows what he
looked like. There are many different portraits of him but no one can be
sure which is accurate. One of the most accepted portraits of
Shakespeare is an engraving in the First Folio. The First Folio is a book
of Shakespeare’s plays published by his friends in 1623, seven years
after Shakespeare died.
29 May 2013
William Shakespeare, 1564 – 1616
Montserrat
18 July 2006
The National Portrait Gallery – Celebrating
150 Years
United Kingdom
1
Customised Cover
Cancelled on 23 April 1986
United Kingdom
The other famous portraits are the Chandos Portrait at the National
Portrait Gallery in London and the bust at Shakespeare’s grave at Holy
Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon.
2. Shakespeare wrote 38 plays and 154 sonnets. His works have been
translated into more than 100 languages. He is the most quoted
English writer ever.
2010
Greatest Personalities in World History
Gabon
3. Shakespeare mentioned food in all his plays. During Shakespeare’s
time, common food that we eat today was not popular or available then.
These include potato, chocolate, coffee, banana, pineapple, tomato,
maize and chilli. What people ate depended on who they were. The rich
ate a lot of meat, sugar and spices. The poor ate more vegetables as
these were cheaper.
7 December 2001
Coffee
Brazil
3 April 2001
Farming
Jersey
4. Shakespeare used more than 28,000 unique word forms and
introduced at least 2,000 new ones. These include ‘Knock, Knock!
Who’s There?’, ‘Not Slept One Wink’, ‘Laughing Stock’, ‘Catch a Cold’
and ‘Vanish into Thin Air’.
2
5. Shakespeare’s plays are full of medicine and magic. He knew much
about plants and medicine. He also knew a lot about a person’s
anatomy, about herbs, and psychology. His plays often feature healers
and their medicines.
Monkshood
6 April 1982
Poisonous Plants
East Germany
6. People in Shakespeare’s time bathed only a few times a year, if at all!
There was no shower or bathroom. Most people washed their face and
hands from a bowl or jug of water and wiped their bodies with linen
cloth. Fashionable people carried a pomander to ward off bad
smells. They believed that bad smells make them sick.
12 August 1968
British Paintings
United Kingdom
7. Shakespeare lived during the Age of Exploration. Gentlemen would
own cabinets of curiosities that displayed strange and exotic things
from all over the world.
8. Back then, acting was not a respectable job. The government of
London was also against public performances. Actors often risked
being captured and even executed. To avoid getting into trouble,
actors received protection from powerful nobles and royalty.
Shakespeare’s companies The Lord Chamberlain’s Men had Lord
Hunsdon (1526 – 1596) as patron, while The King’s Men had King
James I (1566 – 1625).
3
8 August 1995
Shakespeare’s Globe & the Bankside Theatres
United Kingdom
9. Shakespeare was a master of human nature. He understood how
people felt and behaved. The characters in his plays showed many
different emotions and moods.
Guilty
Sad
16 November 1976
German Actresses
West Germany
12 April 2011
50th Anniversary of Royal Shakespeare
Company
United Kingdom
Lady Macbeth caused the murder of
King Duncan. Her heart is heavy with
guilt. She sleepwalks around the castle.
Romeo loves Juliet very much. He thinks she is
dead and is heartbroken. He too wants to die.
“What, will these hands ne’er be clean?”
Lady Macbeth, Macbeth: Act 5 Scene 1
“Arms, take your last embrace!”
Romeo, Romeo & Juliet: Act 5 Scene 3
10. Shakespeare lived in superstitious times. The people then believed in
magic and witchcraft. This is reflected in the magic abound in
Shakespeare’s plays such as Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream
and The Tempest.
19 July 1988
th
400 Anniversary of Spanish Armada
United Kingdom
Storm Spell
How to raise a stormy storm
Source: The Tempest
4
Singapore, 13 May 2016 – To mark the 400th death anniversary of William
Shakespeare, Singapore Philatelic Museum (SPM) is presenting the
“Shaking It With Shakespeare” exhibition and special programmes to
celebrate the life and enduring legacy of the world’s greatest playwright.
Through over 400 stamps and philatelic materials issued by 70 countries,
century-old picture postcards, original books from Shakespeare’s time,
historical Tudor era replicas and animal specimens, the activity-based and
fun-filled exhibition invites families to uncover nuggets of information about
the literary giant. The philatelic tribute to ‘the Bard’ will run at SPM from 14
May 2016 to 15 January 2017. The exhibition is one of the offerings of the
National Heritage Board’s Children’s Season 2016, and is one of the
Shakespeare Lives programmes jointly organised by the British Council
and the GREAT Britain campaign.
William Shakespeare’s literary influence extends beyond the shores of
England and transcends half a millennium. In tropical Singapore, halfway
around the world from where Shakespeare was born at Stratford-uponAvon, generations of Singaporeans have grown up with his works through
English Literature.
Those who are unfamiliar with Shakespeare may
unknowingly utter phrases coined by him, and some even carry the names
of the leading characters from his 38 plays.
To bring the exhibition to life, SPM is organising a range of interesting
programmes including Tudor themed activities, craft sessions and
5
participatory storytelling by an experienced education practitioner from
Shakespeare’s Globe (London).
Ms Tresnawati Prihadi, General Manager of SPM, said, “Mention William
Shakespeare, and most will think of ‘Macbeth’ or ‘Romeo and Juliet’. But
there is so much more to Shakespeare, which is featured in SPM’s newest
exhibition, Shaking It With Shakespeare. Beyond just English literature, his
influence is real and far-reaching, and is best seen in the English language
that most of us use daily. We hope that through the exhibition, which
presents Shakespeare and his achievements in a fun and interactive
manner, visitors will glean lesser known insights into the life and times of
this literary giant.”
Please refer to Annex A for exhibition highlights and Annex B for details
of the programmes offered in conjunction with the exhibition.
Details of Shaking It With Shakespeare Exhibition (邮说莎士比亚)
Venue:
Singapore Philatelic Museum
23-B Coleman Street, Singapore 179807
Date:
14 May 2016 – 15 January 2017
Opening hours:
Monday – Sunday
10.00am – 7.00pm
Admission charge: Admission to the exhibition is free. Usual museum
admission charges apply.
Free admission for Singaporeans and Permanent
Residents
Admission charge for foreigners:
Adult $6
Child (3 – 12 years) $4
Tel:
63373888
Website:
www.spm.org.sg
6
Acknowledgements
Singapore Philatelic Museum would like to thank the following individuals
and organisations for supporting the exhibition.
Corporate Sponsor
Singapore Post Limited
Sponsors
National Heritage Board – Children’s Season 2016
Special Thanks
Bernard Quaritch Ltd
Shakespeare Lives
Chelsea Physic Garden
club di giulietta
Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum
Ministry of Education
National Library Board
Singapore Dance Theatre
Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
Singapore Repertory Theatre
ABOUT SINGAPORE PHILATELIC MUSEUM
Singapore Philatelic Museum showcases Singapore’s philatelic heritage
and postal artefacts since the Straits Settlements era. Throughout the year,
the museum organises changing exhibitions that feature rare collections of
world-class philatelists, and contemporary collections that explore heritage
and cultures of Singapore and beyond. The museum also hosts a range of
educational activities including guided tours, camps, talks and workshops.
The mission of the Singapore Philatelic Museum is to stimulate interest in
philately. The museum is a fully-owned subsidiary of National Heritage
Board. It has Institution of Public Character (IPC) Status from 14 July 2015
to 13 July 2018.
ABOUT CHILDREN’S SEASON
Children’s Season seeks to inspire, engage and educate children through
experiential exhibits and educational children’s programmes. Jointly
organised by the National Heritage Board and Museum Roundtable, the
ninth Children’s Season will be held from 28 May to 26 June 2016. For
more information, visit www.museums.com.sg/cs16.
7
ABOUT SHAKESPEARE LIVES
Shakespeare Lives is a global programme of events and activities
celebrating the world's most popular playwright's work on the 400th
anniversary of his death in 2016.
The programme will include a host of events, including innovative theatre
and dance performances, film screenings, globally sourced art exhibitions,
and educational resources for English language learners.
8
Annex A
Rare items
The Herball or Generall History of
Plantes by John Gerarde, 1633
Collection of Chelsea Physic Garden
First printed in 1597, The Herball describes
all the herbs and flowers its author had
obtained. The book features native English
plants as well as exotic specimens. It
boasts the first-ever description of a potato
published in English. Shakespeare, with a
keen interest in botany, might very well
have read or known about The Herball.
A Catalogue of the Succession of the
Kings, Princes, Dukes, Marquesses,
Earles, and Viscounts of this Realme of
England, collected by Raphe Brooke
Esquire, 1619
Collection of Bernard Quaritch Ltd
This book records the succession of
English royalty and nobility until the early
17th century. Its publisher, William Jaggard,
also printed the First Folio in 1623. Jaggard
had quarreled with the author of this book,
Brooke, over its many errors and another
author defended him. To print the latter’s
defence against Brooke, Jaggard actually
delayed the printing of the First Folio.
9
Interesting items
The
Complete
Shakespeare, 1953
Works
of
William
Collection of Bernard Quaritch Ltd
Printed by the Nonesuch Press, this edition was
dedicated to Queen Elizabeth II in the year of
her Coronation.
The First Folio of Shakespeare – Facsimile,
21st Century
The First Folio is considered by many to be one
of the most important English books. It is the
first collected edition of Shakespeare’s plays.
Without the First Folio, half of his plays,
including Macbeth, would have been lost
forever. The First Folio was published by
Shakespeare’s friends in 1623, seven years
after his death.
Textbooks
of
Shakespeare
Singapore, 1950s to 1980s
Used
in
1. Oxford Progressive English Readers Grade
3: Stories of Shakespeare’s Plays 3, 1977
2. The New Hudson Shakespeare: The
Tragedy of Hamlet, 1955
3. New Swan Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet,
1976
4. Pacific Shakespeare: Julius Caesar, 1979
5. Minerva Guide to Shakespeare: Macbeth,
1987
6. Minerva Guide to Shakespeare: A
Midsummer Night’s Dream, 1979
Collection of the Ministry of Education
Shakespeare’s Plays in Local Languages
1960s to 2000s
Courtesy of the National Library Board,
Singapore 2016
10
Postcards of Shakespeare’s plays
The
postcards
depict
scenes
from
Shakespeare’s plays. The used postcards are
more than 100 years old.
Cancelled on 23 October 1902
Romeo and Juliet
Bulgaria
Cancelled on 3 August 1901
The Winter’s Tale
Germany
Cancelled on 13 September 1905
King Lear
United States of America
Cancelled on 30 March 1906
A Midsummer Night’s
Dream
United Kingdom
11
More lesser-known facts about Shakespeare and the Tudor Times
Shakespeare’s stories, plots and characters live
on in contemporary plays, operas, dance and
musicals; in movies beyond Hollywood and
Bollywood; in romantic to terrifying novels; in
pop songs; and even in online games.
19 November 2007
Cinema – Big Names
Guinea
West Side Story Musical (1957)
It is one of the longest running musicals. It is
based on Romeo and Juliet. It was directed and
choreographed by Jerome Robbins and music
by Leonard Bernstein. The musical is also
regarded as opera since 1976.
The popular musical was made into a film in
1961, directed by Robert Wise and Jerome
Robbins.
12 February 1999]
400th Anniversary of Opera – West
Side Story
San Marino
Lion King, Animated Film (1994)
This Disney animated film was inspired by
Hamlet. The film won Academy Awards and
Golden Globe Award. It was also adapted into a
Broadway musical.
30 September 1994
Lion King
Uganda
Japanese movies by acclaimed filmmaker Akira
Kurosawa (1910 – 1998). He made two movies
based on Shakespeare’s plays.
Throne of Blood (1957) was his first attempt to
transpose an English play into a Japanese
movie. The movie was based on Macbeth.
Ran (1985), inspired by King Lear, was
considered Akira Kurosawa’s finest works
5 October 2010
Great Artist – Akira Kurosawa (19101998)
San Marino
Shakespeare in Opera
Renowned Italian composer of operas Giuseppe
Verdi (1813 – 1901) created several operas
based on Shakespeare’s plays – Macbeth, King
Lear, Falstaff, and Othello.
30 September 2013
Giuseppe Verdi
Niger
12
Shakespeare lived in England. We are not sure
if he ever travelled out of England. His plays
are set in at least 17 different countries. He also
borrowed words from foreign languages.
Shakespeare Festival
15 June 1964
Cyprus
Music and songs were important in all
Shakespeare’s plays. They created the
atmosphere and set the mood
Trumpet and Drum
Trumpets announced the start of the plays and
the grand entrance or exit of kings. They were
used together with drums in Shakespeare’s
tragedies and for battle scenes.
Lute, Violin, Viol & Harp
These string instruments symbolised nobility
because they were commonly used in court.
Lute is the most popular at that time. The gentle
twanging of the lute could be heard in
Shakespeare’s comedies. The soft and elegant
sound of lute and viol were used to ease the
feeling of sadness.
20 July 1982
Youth Meeting
East Germany
1972
String Instruments – Paintings
Chad
13
Annex B
Bringing you Shakespeare’s Globe from London!
Shakespeare’s Globe
Shakespeare’s Globe is an internationallyacclaimed organisation dedicated to the
exploration of Shakespeare through the
connected means of performance and
education.
The following programmes are conducted by Shakespeare’s Globe:
The World’s A Stage Workshop
6-8 years old
3 June 2016; 10:00am – 12:00pm
4 June 2016, 2:30pm – 4:30pm
9-11 years old
4 June 2016, 10:00am – 12:00pm
11 June 2016, 2:30pm – 4:30pm
Meet unforgettable characters from William Shakespeare’s well-loved plays.
Explore themes of friendship, love and dilemmas; experiment with the sounds and
rhythms of the Bard’s timeless language; and dress up as a Shakespearean
character.
Charge:
$35; 10% off for 2 children and above
Lively Action Storytelling
5 – 12 years old
6 June 2016, 9:30am – 10:30am
8 June 2016, 9:30am – 10:30am
11 June 2016, 9:30am – 10:30am
11 June 2016, 11:00am – 12:00pm
Immerse in William Shakespeare’s most exciting stories! Enter his timeless
narratives not just as listeners, but as storytellers too. These action-filled sessions
deepen children’s understanding of the ways in which they can imagine and
recreate stories.
Charge:
$20; 10% off for 2 children and above
REGISTRATION DETAILS
Contact Laura at Tel: 65137348; Email: [email protected]
A Tudor Fayre
5 & 12 June 2016, 10:00am – 7:00pm
Have a day of Tudor fun! Check out an exciting line-up of programmes
including participatory storytelling by Shakespeare's Globe (London), sample
delicious pies, dress up in period costumes and take home a special craft!
Programme charges apply.
14
Other exciting programmes!
Overnight Adventure – A Midsummer Night‘s Camp
7-12 years old
2 June, 6:00pm – 3 June 2016, 9:00am
9 June, 6:00pm – 10 June 2016; 9:00am
Check-in at Singapore Philatelic Museum for a night of adventure, games, stamps
and craft! Meet William Shakespeare and immerse yourself in a Tudorian
setting. Listen to an enchanting tale by a storyteller. Concoct your own magical
potions, sing with Macbeth’s witches and create your very own dance steps!
Bring along a sleeping bag, jacket, pyjamas, fresh change of clothing and toiletries.
Charge: $90 (includes dinner, supper and breakfast)
Excited Overnight Adventure Participants
Enchanted Forest
7-10 years old
1 June 2016, 10:00am – 12:00pm
9 June 2016, 2:00pm – 4:00pm
Explore the value of recycling through reusing materials from our daily
lives to make your own nature-inspired artwork or craft.
Charge: $15
An example of an art piece on the theme of nature
15
Much Ado About Mailbox
7-12 years old
7 June and 14 June 2016 10:00am – 12:00pm
Have you ever wondered what the inside of a postbox looks like? View miniature
postboxes from around the world, discover interesting facts about postboxes and
find out how mail is delivered. You can also paint and decorate your very own tin
mailbox!
Charge: $30
Pretty mailbox
REGISTRATION DETAILS
Contact Lily at Tel: 65137347; Email: [email protected]
16