#edwardiii

A lot of you are aware that for the better part of a decade I've done research on David's early Scottish theatre work (80s/90s). I've found a ton of info and am in slooooow development on a podcast aimed at sharing my discoveries. But not ALL my research lands squarely in those years. I've learned about plenty of DT's theatre projects which fall outside of the years my podcast covers. So it occurred to me - since I'm not planning to do a podcast about those years, why not share some interesting tidbits? Let's dive in! By January of 1999, David was living in London and beginning a two month run at the Almeida's Albery Theatre as Pavel in Vassa (a comic portrait of a powerful iron-willed matriarch who sees her family destroyed by the very values that she seeks to preserve.) So he was busy, yes? Not busy enough, apparently, because he agreed to join thirteen other actors to do a one-off staged reading of a play often attributed to Shakespeare as a co-writer - called Edward III.

David in rehearsal as Pavel in Vassa: Scenes From Family Life, 1999

Edward III was part of a series of performances the Education Department of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre had been doing since the early 1990s called Read Not Dead (heretofore referred to as RND). Their website has this to say about their mission: "Read Not Dead is a multi-decade project run by Shakespeare’s Globe, one in which we plan to perform every single ‘unknown’ play that has survived in print, from the accession of Queen Elizabeth I in 1558, to the closing of the theatres in 1642. Some plays from history deserve to be read, not dead." (By the by, RND is still active today! I encourage you to read more about their mission and the plays they've performed by going to the Read Not Dead website.) Performing in an RND play was a unique challenge for an actor. RND performances were staged readings, so actors didn't do the traditional rehearsals. Instead, they received scripts only a few days ahead of the performance. The project's website explains it like so: "The rules of the project have always been simple, experimental, and completely unique. Whilst approaching one individual play, the group does so within one single day. In the morning, the company meets for the first time and throughout the day they work with a Director and experiment with props and costume. Often music is also composed within the short time-frame, too. By the afternoon, the play is put up on its feet and presented as a script-in-hand performance to a live audience." Additionally, most RND plays were performed on Sundays (traditionally the only day off for most performing actors in the theatre circuit, this made the full day's preparation possible.) These challenges almost certainly appealed to David for a number of reasons: 1) it was a one-off performance with a tight schedule, 2) we all know how he feels about Shakespeare, and 3) the Globe! When an opportunity came for him to play a role in or around that great structure, certainly one imagines he sprung at the chance! So on 21 February 1999, David played the role of Edward, Prince of Wales (aka the Black Prince) at the Globe Theatre Education Centre/Inigo Jones Theatre. The performance was on a Sunday - that day, the group met at 10a for a run-through, and at 3p they went onstage. It was directed by Clive Brill (who - fun fact - has since worked with David on many things, including the radio dramas The Order of Release, The Island, Murder in Samarkand, The Purple Land, and the two part Afternoon Play series Stevenson in Love). Now for a treat. Want to see a page from the programme? Ask, and ye shall receive! (Thanks and credit to the Shakespeare's Globe Archive for the digitized programme, which you can see in further detail here.)

This performance was recorded, and I've actually listened to it! (sadly, the audio is only of the first two acts - for some reason, Acts 3 and 4 are missing.) I found it quite well done, especially considering the short amount of time the company of actors had to rehearse. You can listen to the recording of the performance and others from the series, as the recordings are archived in the Globe Archive and Library in London. Access to the archive is available by appointment only for professionals and academics affiliated with institutions of higher education.

On June 29, 1345, Edward III of England began preparations for another major campaign against France during the Hundred Years' War. His fleet carrying troops and supplies set sail from England with the goal of expanding English influence in French territories.

The army reached the waters near Sluys, the site of Edward’s famous naval victory in 1340, but the expedition was soon disrupted. Powerful storms prevented the fleet from continuing as planned, delaying the campaign and forcing Edward to reconsider his strategy.

On June 27, 1337, Edward III of England began issuing orders for the assembly and preparation of an English expeditionary army from London, marking a major escalation in the growing conflict with Philip VI of France. The crisis had been sparked by Philip VI’s confiscation of English-held lands in Gascony, a region that was one of the most valuable parts of the English crown’s continental possessions.

Edward III viewed the seizure as an attack on his rights as Duke of Aquitaine and a challenge to English influence in France. The king began gathering troops, ships, supplies, and commanders for a military campaign that would soon develop into the Hundred Years' War.

Born on June 25, 1328, William de Montagu, 2nd Earl of Salisbury became one of the most trusted nobles of Edward III of England. A powerful figure during the early stages of the Hundred Years’ War, Montagu was known for his military skill, political influence, and loyalty to the English crown.

He played a major role in Edward III’s campaigns against France, including the famous English victory at the Battle of Crécy. As one of the king’s closest companions, he helped strengthen royal authority during a period of conflict and transformation in medieval England.

On June 24, 1340, during the early stages of the Hundred Years’ War, the Battle of Sluys became one of the most important naval victories in English history. The English fleet, personally commanded by Edward III of England, confronted a much larger French fleet near the port of Sluys in modern-day Belgium.

The French fleet had been assembled to block English access to the continent, but Edward III’s forces used superior tactics, positioning their ships to take advantage of the wind and forcing the French into a devastating engagement. English archers played a crucial role, overwhelming French crews before English soldiers boarded and captured enemy vessels.