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Sir Mark Rylance: Tales of Shakespeare, stage and screen

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Oscar-winning actor Sir Mark Rylance charmed a packed audience at Brunel University London yesterday evening with stories from across his glittering career.

Sir Mark spoke about his journey from on-stage Shakespearean actor, through his time as the first artistic director of Shakespeare's Globe, to his win in 2015 of the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Rudolf Abel in 'Bridge of Spies'.

In his heartfelt and compelling talk, Sir Mark also discussed the Shakespeare Authorship Question with Brunel's Professor Bill Leahy, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic Affairs and Civil Engagement) and the current Chairman of the Shakespearean Authorship Trust. Whether Shakespeare wrote all the tragedies, comedies and histories attributed to him has been hotly debated over the centuries, and although Sir Mark says that many of the theories are persuasive, he feels it is likely that, for some plays, Sir Francis Bacon was the man behind the quill.

Watch our recording of the event:

The evening was part of Brunel's series of public engagement events – free for members of the public to attend.

Details of how to register for a ticket for our next event, leading particle physicist Professor Akram Khan's 'Journeys into Fundamental and Applied Knowledge', are available on our upcoming events page.

Reported by:

Joe Buchanunn, Media Relations
joe.buchanunn@brunel.ac.uk