‘Angry co-writer' compared Shakespeare to an upstart crow
Textual analysis using artificial intelligence has fingered Thomas Nashe as the culprit behind the caustic attack on Shakespeare, in a 1592 pamphlet that suggested the fledgling playwright from the provinces had ideas above his station.
A new academic paper has suggested that the pair's collaboration on Henry VI Part 1 could have prompted Nashe to dismiss Shakespeare in the pamphlet as one who 'supposes he is as well able to bombast out a blanke verse as the best of you'.
Nashe is thought to have written the first act and other segments of the play, which was first performed at the Rose Theatre in London in 1592 and quickly followed by two further instalments.
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BBC News
12 minutes ago
- BBC News
The Edinburgh Fringe shows that put accessibility centre stage
The Edinburgh Fringe can be a maze for blind and visually-impaired pop-up venues, jam-packed schedules and minimal thought given to access, it often feels like an afterthought, if it's considered at year, though, one venue is trying something Playground has teamed up with Extant, the UK's leading professional company of visually impaired artists, to put accessibility centre stage. What is the mission? The Fringe can overwhelm me. It's loud, crowded, and I'm left wondering: will the venue work for me and my guide dog, Major? These thoughts hit me before I even book a year, three shows at ZOO Playground were marked as among the most accessible. I tried one.I picked Big Little Sister, a solo show by Holly Gifford. Before the 10:35 morning performance, Holly herself took me and other audience members on a touch tour, guiding us around the stage, letting us handle props, feel the layout and even try a prop from the the time she stepped out to perform, I already had a clear picture of the space, her actions, and captions she uses on a screen. Because the show was built to be accessible, I didn't need audio description. It flowed without visual reliance. Making it part of the show Usually, I'd use a headset for live description. I do welcome it, but it splits your focus, one ear on the live performance, the other on a describer. This was different. Holly had done the groundwork in advance, so I didn't need that extra at ZOO had genuinely thought things through. From arrival to departure, I felt looked after as they clearly had training in how to guide visually-impaired audiences. That's rare. ZOO Playground, known for emerging artists and smaller productions, took on a challenge this year. They worked with Extant, the UK's leading professional company of visually impaired artists, to rethink access. Extant is led by Maria Oshodi, a blind theatre director and says the aim is long-term change: "We're showing that accessibility can be built in from the start, not tacked on at the end. Once you work this way, you don't go back."Three headline shows, Big Little Sister, Small Town Boys, and I Think It Could Work, are part of Extant's Enhance includes a touch tour, live programme notes, and visual awareness training for staff and creators. Other shows were encouraged to include audio introductions or describe their stage setting at the start where possible."This is about breaking down barriers," says James Mackenzie, ZOO's artistic director."We can't alter buildings or knock down walls, most spaces are temporary, but we can change attitudes and the way we operate." 'It's just a different way to tell the story' Holly Gifford's show, Big Little Sister, is based on her relationship with her older brother Patrick, who is deafblind, has cerebral palsy, and severe learning disabilities."He's my big brother, but in a lot of ways I've had to be the one taking responsibility," she says. "That's where the title comes from."She wanted the show to speak to people who actually live with disability, not just those watching from the outside."I didn't want to make something that makes non-disabled audiences feel moved or uplifted, but doesn't change anything. This show is about telling the truth of our story."Working with Extant helped her shape the experience for blind audiences."We looked at what parts needed describing and how to do it in a way that felt like storytelling, not a bolt-on. It wasn't a chore. It made the show better."The performance includes pre-recorded lines from Patrick's communication aid, and Holly plays both herself and her dad, complete with a full drag beard, one of the props she includes in her touch says making her show accessible didn't cost a fortune or require a technical overhaul."People assume it's going to be expensive or really difficult. It's not. It just takes a bit of effort and a willingness to try." 'It shouldn't be the exception' As a blind audience member, this felt different, not just because I could follow the show without strain, but because someone had thought about what I might need. It's rare at the Fringe to feel that happening at ZOO Playground shouldn't be a one-off. If a small venue can pull this off at the busiest arts festival in the world, there's no reason others can't do the same.
The Sun
15 minutes ago
- The Sun
Rochelle Humes shares cryptic post as Myleene Klass feud rumbles on
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The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Illegal migrant LIVE STREAMS step by step channel crossing & boasts ‘my dream was to come here' from 4 star asylum hotel
AN ILLEGAL migrant boasted on TikTok of crossing the Channel by dinghy, saying: 'Tell your friends to come.' The man racked up nearly a million views with a step-by-step guide to crossing the Channel on a small boat — and then told others to follow him as he revelled in his taxpayer-funded asylum hotel. 7 7 7 Known as Alexandra420, he said his wish had come true and that this was 'the best place' during a TikTok livestream at his free accommodation near Heathrow. His taunts come as figures reveal 50,271 people have crossed in a small boat since Labour and Sir Keir Starmer took office last year. Last night Reform leader Nigel Farage MP told The Sun: 'This is yet another total humiliation for our country. "The Prime Minister's soft-touch approach and refusal to address the root cause of illegal Channel crossings has turned the UK into a global laughing stock.' TikTok influencer Alexandra, who has 70,000 followers, left Calais in a dinghy at around 4am on Saturday. His first video was a 13-second clip from the middle of the Channel, showing a French lifeboat alongside his dinghy, which was full of fellow migrants. The next clip showed him grinning in an orange life jacket and pointing to the sky. A third video, bizarrely set to the theme tune of US TV drama Prison Break, showed the vessel surrounded by massive freight ships, while in a fourth he dipped his designer trainers in the water. He was one of 435 arrivals on Saturday, and was taken in by Border Force officials to be processed at Manston, Kent. He was then bussed to the four-star Crowne Plaza hotel in West Drayton, near Heathrow. The migrant, thought to be from Afghanistan, treats TikTok viewers to a tour of his room, which had two single beds and a double plus an en-suite bathroom. He also shows them the view from his window. Triumphing in his good fortune, he said: 'This is dedicated to those haters who were happy thinking we either drowned or ended up dead.' In a later livestream he claimed their boat began to deflate halfway through the crossing and could have capsized if Border Force officials had not rescued them. He said: 'It was dangerous. Our boat sank. It was punctured. The water came from the inside of the boat. "On the other side, three people pumped the water. If the British boats hadn't come in an hour, we would have been in trouble.' He then encouraged others to pay thousands to people-smugglers to make the same perilous journey. He ranted: 'I risked my life, I spent my money, I came. Your country is not your mother. "Those who want to come, this is the best place. Don't be stingy. Your country is not your father, that you are so stingy. Live your life. 'Tell your four friends to come. Why are you so stingy? Being stingy is not good for God. You see, I risked my life! Why don't you come? My wish was to come to this hotel and live. I came here just for this.' 7 7 He also revealed how he beat warnings of deportation, claiming he had been told by UK officials: 'If I send you to France, you won't have any problem.' But he replied: 'I will commit suicide.' He went on: 'I just said it, and he got angry. I told them, and right there, I swore an oath.' Spinning on his chair with his arms in the air, he then shouted: 'Welcome to London!' It's disgraceful that illegal immigrants are saying it's their dream to be put up in a hotel Chris Philp In total, the migrant posted eight videos before taking part in a live Q&A with his followers in the Afghan dialect Pashto. His viewers appeared to include other asylum seekers in different hotels across the country. One told the host, who flashed his purple room key card, that the Crowne Plaza was 'a nice place'. The videos had a combined 870,000 views before being taken down during a second livestream when The Sun alerted TikTok. 7 Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp blasted: 'It is disgraceful that illegal immigrants are saying it is their dream to be put up in a hotel, all paid for by the British taxpayer. 'This is a sick joke. Anyone coming to the UK illegally must be swiftly deported.' Dozens of migrants have made social media posts celebrating their arrival in the UK. The Heathrow Crowne Plaza used to cost guests £120 a night — but has been housing migrants for more than four years, and has an 8ft security fence. Facilities include a luxury swimming pool with steam room and sauna, gym, an Irish bar, two large restaurants and a theatre. More illegal arrivals were brought in on packed buses yesterday alongside vans delivering food. One Afghan man told The Sun: 'I came to Britain a few days ago on a boat from France. This hotel is nice and we get fed and given clothes. Life is nice here so far.' A TikTok spokeswoman said it has a zero-tolerance approach to content promoting people-smuggling. A Home Office spokeswoman said it is unacceptable 'to promote the criminal services of people-traffickers or for social media companies to allow it'. Laws are being brought in to make it easier to prosecute, she added.
