With recent productions of King Lear at the Old Vic, the Donmar’s trilogy of The Tempest, Henry IV and Julius Caesar, and the National Theatre's Twelfth Night in mind, a panel questions the reasons for, and challenges of, swapping the gender for some of Shakespeare’s key roles, and whether this makes them more relevant or accessible for today’s audience. What can an actress bring to these roles – and is there any fundamental difference in the way they must be played?

Guests include Harriet Walter, whose new book, Brutus and Other Heroines, is an exploration of the Shakespearean canon through the eyes of ‘a self-identified feminist actor’, as she describes herself.

Harriet Walter will be signing copies of her book, Brutus and Other Heroines, after the Platform.

Friday 31 March, 6pm
Running Time: 45 minutes approximately

Tickets £5 (£4 concessions) from www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/redressing-balance-gender-shakespeare