SOURCE: Jackson, Russell. “Shakespeare Performed. Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Avon: Summer and Winter, 1999-2000.” Shakespeare Quarterly 51, no. 2 (summer 2000): 217-29.

In the following excerpt, Russell applauds Gregory Doran's simple staging of Timon of Athens, singling out Michael Pennington's Timon and Richard McCabe's Apemantus, and noting that the production is as good as one will see for some time to come.

Greg Doran's production of Timon of Athens was the last to join the “Summer Festival Season’ in the main house. Alan Bates had been announced for the title role but was obliged to withdraw for health reasons (he had missed several performances of Antony and Cleopatra), and Michael Pennington took over at short notice, with only three weeks of rehearsal. Fortuitously, Pennington had let it be known when he gave the annual Shakespeare's Birthday lecture at Stratford that he coveted the part: he was suddenly taken at his word! The staging...