#prospero my king

[ace-robot-has-matcha]

Prospero confirmed aromantic but not asexual, aroallo rep???

[dumvixerum]

YURI JUMPSCARE 😨😨🏃🏻‍♀️😨

[lowcallyfruity]

I hate twisted wonderland because sometimes it will drop a card so brain changing it makes me want to work on my ocs I haven’t touched since 1987

[fuukonomiko]

I’m sure someone already has requested this for trick or treat, but just in case: Magnus treat!!!

TRICK OR TREAT!!!

MAGNUS THE RED dressed as the champion of mutants, Magneto! Magneto the Red? OFC he's not gonna wear that helmet and hide that glorious mane. Are you kidding? XD

I also thought this is so in character as our big red boi is the champion of 40k's version of mutants, the psykers.

I scrapped two other costumes (All lineart-ed already too ahahhahaha) in favor of this because the others didn't seem right. That's why it took this long but...here you are!!!!

DO YOU WANT TO SEND ME A PROMPT???? ANY CHARACTER! ANY FANDOM! FOR A HALLOWEEN COSTUME FROM THE BOWELS OF THE WARP!!!!

Others: Weenus from Robotomy as Cinderella

[hopecomesbacktolife]

because this particular scene (and his inflection, tone, etc. when he says this) has lived in my head rent free for years, ever since I first saw tos, here’s a reaction image I made of Kodos saying “I am tired!!”

shoutout to Arnold Moss (Kodos’s actor) for his gravitas, sheer presence, and amazing acting in this episode, too!

[medievalandfantasymelee]

THE HOT MEDIEVAL & FANTASY MEN MELEE

SECOND ROUND: 8th Tilt

Thorin Oakenshield, The Hobbit Trilogy (2012-2014) VS. King Marke of Cornwall, Tristan + Isolde (2006)

Propaganda

Thorin Oakenshield, The Hobbit Trilogy (2012-2014) Portrayed by: Richard Armitage Defeated Opponents: - Thierry of Janville [Jean-Claude Drouot], Thierry la Fronde (1963-1966) - King Edward IV Plantagenet [Max Irons], The White Queen (2013)

“Mr. Broody Himself. He is tortured, hot, a warrior of great renown, has no sense of direction and definitely needs a massage and a three-year nap. The complete package!”

King Marke of Cornwall, Tristan + Isolde (2006) Portrayed by: Rufus Sewell Defeated Opponents: - Leofric [Adrian Bower], The Last Kingdom (2015-2022) - Prince Prospero [Vincent Price], The Masque of the Red Death (1964)

“He was just supposed to be the borderline-villainous husband whose existence gets in the way of a great, timeless love affair... so why do I end up rooting for him more than the titular hero? Honestly, if I were Isolde, as soon as I stepped out of that carriage and saw King Marke, it would be 'Tristan who?'”

Additional Propaganda Under the Cut

Additional Propaganda

For Thorin Oakenshield:

“He worked so hard to care for his people and be there for his family and reclaim his home!!!! He’s a tragic figure! His relationship with Bilbo was fantastic and his death made me cry.”

For King Marke:

"Time for my ESSAY on how the Tristan + Isolde movie made King Marke outrageously sexy and somehow expected us to root against him. This is a man who is a valiant soldier and brilliant strategist, but what he really wants is to broker peace (sexy.) We can tell he is also a scholar and theorist, in part because he wears a Roman haircut, in this post-Roman world, to signal his allegiance to something other than internecine tribal fighting.

Moreover, the context in which we meet him is his riding to the rescue! Tristan is still a child, and terrified, in the burning wreckage of his home; his parents have been killed. Marke, arriving almost too late, blocks a killing blow with his sword arm, meaning that he loses a hand. And he still rides home with Tristan on his saddlebow. He is gray with exhaustion by the time they get there, of course, but that traumatized boy is going to have the comfort of his only living relative holding him, damn it. I'm emotional about it.

Also, this means that in a vaguely early medieval-ish Arthurian world, where the health of the king's body and the health of the land are often linked, Marke is still respected as a successful king despite having a disability. Wildly hot. Says a lot about his rulership. And he loves his nephew so tenderly. All of which is to say nothing about the man's bone structure, or the way he looks at his wife. Which. Is a lot."

[afloatinships]

So I have a theory on webtoon's Nevermore:

And it all pins back to this scene. My theory is that Annabel Lee's plan all along was just to get Lenore that new life

And I think it can all be seen right here, this scene comes right after the big reveal that there is only one new life available for all students. Annabel Lee was the only one not panicking, something that was called out by Lenore herself. Annabel Lee has been shown to be an extraordinaire liar, manipulating almost everyone in her life. She also only has one weakness: Lenore Vandernacht.

Three key scenes that indicate that:

The Physical pain on her face when she knows she has to leave Lenore for good, The Black Ribbons indicating her privately mourning Lenore's "death", and Ada's reveal of Annabel Lee's fear

Annabel Lee had to live a life without Lenore, so she knows how miserable she is whenever Lenore isn't with her. She also knows how much Lenore's mortal life genuinely sucked, compared to hers. Annabel Lee didn't exactly have the best life, however, it definitely was league's better than the hell Lenore's family put her through.

However, Lenore is selfless, so Annabel Lee could never outright just have Lenore move forward and get that new life. So she has to put up a show, create herself a chessboard with pawns and pieces. She positioned herself as the queen, one of the strongest pieces in chess. And we all know Prospero is definitely not the King in Annabel Lee's story.

In Chess, you can sacrifice a queen for a tactical advantage. So we take that into the board, and I bet Annabel Lee is 100% planning on sacrificing herself for her true king, Lenore.

With recent events in the webtoon, it has become such an engaging love story to watch. There are so many trials these two are going through and I just love the writing so much!

Anyway, sorry if this got rambling and boring, just wanted to share that thwory cause I have no one to talk to about it. Bye!

[marianadecarlos]

The Birth of Charles II of Spain Fanart

Warning: This story contains some artistic license

The Queen's pregnancy was approaching its end and had become a matter of utmost importance. The future of the Monarchy depended on this event. On Sunday, November 6, everything seemed to be ready. The doctors and physicians were on alert; the Queen's confessor was near her, and the Chief Steward of her Household was carefully reviewing the arrangement of the items in the birth chamber. To guarantee the success of the event, all the holy relics that were in the Palace and others brought from El Escorial and other places had been arranged in order. There was the staff of Saint Dominic of Silos that the Order of Saint Dominic had brought, the ribbon of Saint John Ortega, from the Order of the Hieronymites; the incorrupt bodies of Saint Isidore and Saint Diego de Alcalá; the image of the Virgin of Solitude and the one so venerated by the royal family, Our Lady of Atocha. It is not easy to find a space so holy and sacred. Everything, then, was ready, the things of the earth arranged to implore God's pleasure. At noon, after a frugal lunch, Philip IV retired to his chambers. At the same time, While eating, Queen Mariana suddenly felt intense pain in her abdomen, realizing that she was about to give birth. She quickly left the table and hurried to the Tower Chamber.

King Philip went straight to his study while looking at Prospero’s portraits. He entered his study, sat down, and began to write to answer the last letter of Sor Maria de Agreda. He wrote with a deep sigh and tears in his eyes.

“ With the long illness of my son, and the continuous help I was giving in his room, I have not answered your letter of the last month...I assure you that what has most exhausted me, more than this loss, is to see clearly that I have vexed God and he sent this punishment to castigate my sins...

(The king reminisces his cherished memories with Felipe Prospero while writing this letter)

Help me as a friend with your prayers to placate God’s just anger and beg Our Lord that, as he took my son from me, He may make his light shine on the Queen, whose confinement we await hourly, and give her good health and guard what is to be born, if his will, for otherwise I do not wish it...

Back in the Tower Chamber, Queen Mariana cries in agony as she is delivering her baby. The royal midwife Ines Ayala told Queen Mariana to push harder. Five other doctors were present at this event in case of emergency. One of those doctors was Dr Bravo. While the Queen was giving birth, the courtiers and Infanta Margarita looked on. 

Ah, Sor Maria, If I had succeeded in following your teachings, perhaps I would not have found myself thus. Pray to our Lord that he may open his eyes, that I may perform his holy will in all things... There is nothing new in the English situation. I, thank God am in good health...

At this point, King Philip was interrupted by a courtier who delivered the news and told the events occurring in the Tower Chamber. King Philip was anxious about the future that lay within a few hours. He prayed heavily to God, asking him to deliver him a son. All could imagine the impatience of the Royal Court of Madrid and Europe, waiting for an outcome of this event. As hours passed, Queen Mariana was still in labor, and the doctors argued over natural forms of treatment. They were anxious as the Queen and the child’s life was at stake. 

Dr. Bravo proposed a theory: In the past, Queen Mariana had difficult experiences giving birth to her children. At the birth of Maria Ambrosia, Felipe Prospero, and Fernando Tomas, The Queen had terrible epileptic seizures, and the infants died or lived for a short time. On the other hand, at the birth of Infanta Margarita, the only child to survive, The Queen had been perfectly well. Now why was this? The reason is simple: Just before Infanta Margarita was born, Queen Mariana had suffered several violent nosebleeds. Therefore, what she requires now is to be bled. 

Some doctors disagreed, warning that the proposed action could endanger the Queen and her child. Concerned, Queen Mariana asked the doctors if there were any alternative procedures. The doctors offered different opinions, while Dr. Bravo defended his proposal. As the debate continued, Mariana went into labor with the assistance of Ines Ayala. The infant cries and is alive. The birth of the infant brought joy to all. King Philip became a father once again. When the courtier informed King Philip of the birth, he was overjoyed and immediately visited the tower chamber to see his newborn son. King Philip joyfully held his son and proudly showed him to the Queen and his daughter. When the courtier informed King Philip of the birth, he was delighted and immediately visited the tower chamber to see his newborn son. King Philip joyfully held his newborn son and showed him to the Queen and his daughter. 

Sources:

Carlos, A king who would not die by John Langdon Davis

Happy Birthday, Charles II of Spain!

[altlllf]

My favorite thought on lenabel is that EVERYONE but the main cast know

Like they are NOT slick with it. All the other students are like “they’re f-king aren’t they?” “Oh definitely”

I think Morella and Prospero are the first to catch on

(Prospero literally finding Annabel in the closet and Morella going between groups like a child in the middle of a custody battle)

The deans knew before they arrived obvi

Poppet is yet to catch on but is starting to connect the dots

Poppy new after the maze trial

[bitterkarella]

Midnight Pals: Usher

Mike Flanagan: Submitted for the approval of the Midnight Society, i call this the tale of Edgar Allan Poe's Greatest Hits…Updated for the New Millennium! Flanagan: what if roderick usher was a pharmaceutical bro? Flanagan: what if Hopfrog had a fidget spinner? Flanagan: what if the rue morgue orangutan vaped?

Poe: oh i don't know about this Poe: i've been burned on this sort of thing before Flanagan: no it'll be great Flanagan: roderick usher's gonna talk just like the big lebowsky cowboy, it'll be great

Flanagan: see, we take everyone's favorite bits from your stories Flanagan: but then Flanagan: we give them a nutty little twist Flanagan: to appeal to today's modern a-go-go kids

Flanagan: see, my fall of the house of usher is about this pharmaceutical dynasty crumbling King: i thought the story was about the actual house falling down Flanagan: haha of course not nothing so literal Poe: actually it is about a house falling down Flanagan:

Flanagan: haha no for real Poe: no i mean it. the house falls down Flanagan: Flanagan: wait, like, literally? Poe: yeah Flanagan: Flanagan: ok then

Flanagan: ok so Roderick and Madeleine Usher have a bunch of kids Flanagan: Prospero, Tamerline, Victorine, Brevet Brigadier General John A. B. C. Smith Flanagan: and Adolphus Montressor Nu-Nu Metzengerstein Valdemar

Flanagan: which by the way are all references to poe stories Flanagan: you might not have picked up on that, it's kinda subtle Poe: oh hey this is pretty good Poe: i'm kinda digging this

Flanagan: now the ushers run Fortunato Pharmaceuticals Poe: oh! i get it! Poe: this is great Poe: [nudging barker] like the cask of amontillado Poe: see, fortunato is a character- Barker: oh my god edgar I KNOW

Flanagan: so prospero is going to have this big rave Flanagan: you might even call it Flanagan: the rave of the red death! Poe: oh! Poe: oh! oh! oh! Poe: [nudging Barker] like the masque of the red death Barker: Poe: [nudging harder] you know, the masque of the- Barker: I KNOW

Flanagan: but Roderick Usher Enterprises Flanagan: or RUE Poe: Flanagan: where they do experiments on apes Poe: oh! Flanagan: yeah you know where i'm going Poe: [nudging Barker] like Barker: CHRIST, SHUT UP

Flanagan: but before the usher twins can take over Fortunato pharmaceuticals Flanagan: the CEO Rufus Griswold stands in their way Poe: boo! boo! i hate that guy! Poe: i don't know why i just instinctively hate this character Poe: i hope he gets his!

[msflora-lynn]

Nightmares [Dad!AU]

Okay I'm consumed by the "Primarch having kid" AU. You guys broke me and now I'm gonna write one for Magnus, where he comforts his kid!

Word count: 830 words. Warnings: None, this is cute and wholesome fiC NOTHING BAD HAPPENS!!

“Father.”

(Y/N)’s small voice echoed inside the grand master bedroom. Their tiny head peeked through the heavy, ornate door, searching for their father. They found him seated at his desk, immersed in a book. The Crimson King—Magnus—preferred spending his quiet moments reading or exploring what he called “the Great Ocean.”

“Yes, my child?” Magnus turned his head, his crimson eyes softening at the sight of them shyly peeking into the room. “Why are you awake at this hour? I can sense your mind is unsettled.”

“I had a nightmare,” (Y/N) admitted, leaving the doorway and running toward him. They clung to his right leg, burying their face in his thigh. “I dreamed you were gone! You weren’t here with me! I don’t know why, but you disappeared, and I couldn’t find you!”

Magnus’s stern yet compassionate expression remained unchanged as he scooped his child into his arms, placing them gently on his lap. “And you’re afraid of losing me?”

Tears stained (Y/N)’s cheeks, and their lips quivered as they nestled against his neck. “Yes! I don’t want to lose you! Promise me you won’t leave! Promise you’ll stay with me!”

Magnus, known for his immense power and knowledge, was a figure (Y/N) always believed to be invincible. The idea of losing him had never crossed their mind before. But now, the fear of him vanishing—of their father leaving them behind—gnawed at their heart.

“(Y/N),” he said softly, his tone soothing. “I know exactly what will help calm you.”

He made a book float from his desk and held it as he carried (Y/N) to the bed. Sitting down, he began to weave a story using his powers, animating the scenes within the book.

The projection came to life, illuminating the room with a gentle glow. It began with a depiction of the universe’s creation—a grand explosion birthing a planet, and the early life that began to thrive on Prospero.

“Look at these little creatures,” Magnus said, pointing to the projection of strange, ancient animals. “They used to roam this planet long ago. Do you see how life flourished?”

The projection fast-forwarded, showing natural disasters, extinction events, and evolution. Magnus narrated as the creatures vanished, their remains transforming into dust and compost that nurtured new life.

“From death comes life,” he explained. “Nothing lasts forever. All things end, returning to dust. But from that dust, life always begins anew.”

(Y/N) watched as the scene shifted to a limping animal, weakened and dying. Its body eventually returned to the earth, feeding the plants around it.

“All is dust... in the end?” they asked, their voice trembling.

“Yes,” Magnus replied. “But from dust, comes life.”

He gently patted their head, noticing their eyes growing heavy. The soft glow of the projection was lulling them to sleep.

“But I don’t want you to turn to dust or go away,” (Y/N) murmured, their voice barely above a whisper.

Magnus smiled faintly, brushing a stray strand of their hair from their face. “You are strong, my child. Even if one day the universe collapses and the stars explode, taking me away, you will be okay. I believe in you.”

To reassure them, Magnus conjured another scene: a projection of himself as a small child.

“Is that... you?” (Y/N) asked, their curiosity momentarily keeping them awake.

“It is,” he said with a nod. “When I first arrived on this planet, I was just as small and confused as you. I knew my purpose, but I was alone. I didn’t know anyone, and no one knew me. Yet, I pushed forward. I learned, I grew, and I thrived.”

Magnus noticed them struggling to keep their eyes open, though they were mesmerized by the soft, glowing imagery.

“Did you ever miss your father? The Emperor?” they asked sleepily, correcting themselves.

“I did,” Magnus admitted. “Our communication was limited, but when we spoke, it felt wonderful. Still, I knew I couldn’t depend on him. The achievements here on Prospero were the result of my own hands, and the efforts of the people who live here. If I had stayed a sad child, lost in loneliness, I would not have accomplished anything.”

“But I’m not strong like you,” (Y/N) whispered, clutching his robe.

“Even when it feels like the world is ending, you will be okay,” Magnus reassured them, gently stroking their hair. He dimmed the projection, transforming it into a serene display of softly glowing stars sprinkled across the room. “And if tomorrow is my end, you will still be okay.”

(Y/N)’s small fingers held his hand as they finally drifted off to sleep.

Magnus watched them for a moment, then considered returning to his studies. But instead, he lay down beside them, pulling the blanket over them both.

He rarely indulged in moments like this, wanting (Y/N) to grow strong and independent. Yet tonight, they had been brave enough to seek his comfort, and he would be a good, loving father. Tonight, he would stay by their side to make them feel safe.

[doc42]

King Dany

Ever since A Dance With Dragons was new the fandom has been whining about Daenerys' struggle to rule in Meereen and how it proves GRRM must've been trying to show Daenerys is unfit to rule through depicting those struggles. Yet it is playing on the motifs from the most ancient origin of fantasy and GRRM's pre-Tolkien Boyshit sword and sorcery influence, Conan the Barbarian and his very first story about how he became Conan the King. It is a fundamental part of the Conan mythology and chronology that, after ages of wandering, Conan becomes king in the west and, after making his kingdom prosperous, goes back to wandering the world once more.

"Prospero," said the man at the table, "these matters of statecraft weary me as all the fighting I have done never did." "All part of the game, Conan," answered the dark-eyed Poitainian. "You are king—you must play the part." "I wish I might ride with you to Nemedia," said Conan enviously. "It seems ages since I had a horse between my knees—but Publius says that affairs in the city require my presence. Curse him! "When I overthrew the old dynasty," he continued, speaking with the easy familiarity which existed only between the Poitainian and himself, "it was easy enough, though it seemed bitter hard at the time. Looking back now over the wild path I followed, all those days of toil, intrigue, slaughter and tribulation seem like a dream. "I did not dream far enough, Prospero. When King Numedides lay dead at my feet and I tore the crown from his gory head and set it on my own, I had reached the ultimate border of my dreams. I had prepared myself to take the crown, not to hold it. In the old free days all I wanted was a sharp sword and a straight path to my enemies. Now no paths are straight and my sword is useless. "When I overthrew Numedides, then I was the Liberator—now they spit at my shadow. They have put a statue of that swine in the temple of Mitra, and people go and wail before it, hailing it as the holy effigy of a saintly monarch who was done to death by a red-handed barbarian. When I led her armies to victory as a mercenary, Aquilonia overlooked the fact that I was a foreigner, but now she can not forgive me. "Now in Mitra's temple there come to burn incense to Numedides' memory, men whom his hangmen maimed and blinded, men whose sons died in his dungeons, whose wives and daughters were dragged into his seraglio. The fickle fools!" "Rinaldo is largely responsible," answered Prospero, drawing up his sword-belt another notch. "He sings songs that make men mad. Hang him in his jester's garb to the highest tower in the city. Let him make rimes for the vultures." Conan shook his lion head. "No, Prospero, he's beyond my reach. A great poet is greater than any king. His songs are mightier than my scepter; for he has near ripped the heart from my breast when he chose to sing for me. I shall die and be forgotten, but Rinaldo's songs will live for ever. "No, Prospero," the king continued, a somber look of doubt shadowing his eyes, "there is something hidden, some undercurrent of which we are not aware. I sense it as in my youth I sensed the tiger hidden in the tall grass. There is a nameless unrest throughout the kingdom. I am like a hunter who crouches by his small fire amid the forest, and hears stealthy feet padding in the darkness, and almost sees the glimmer of burning eyes. If I could but come to grips with something tangible, that I could cleave with my sword! I tell you, it's not by chance that the Picts have of late so fiercely assailed the frontiers, so that the Bossonians have called for aid to beat them back. I should have ridden with the troops."

"And Dion thinks that crown will be given to him?" "Yes. The fat fool claims it by reason of a trace of royal blood. Conan makes a bad mistake in letting men live who still boast descent from the old dynasty, from which he tore the crown of Aquilonia. "Volmana wishes to be reinstated in royal favor as he was under the old regime, so that he may lift his poverty-ridden estates to their former grandeur. Gromel hates Pallantides, commander of the Black Dragons, and desires the command of the whole army, with all the stubbornness of the Bossonian. Alone of us all, Rinaldo has no personal ambition. He sees in Conan a red-handed, rough-footed barbarian who came out of the north to plunder a civilized land. He idealizes the king whom Conan killed to get the crown, remembering only that he occasionally patronized the arts, and forgetting the evils of his reign, and he is making the people forget. Already they openly sing The Lament for the King in which Rinaldo lauds the sainted villain and denounces Conan as 'that black-hearted savage from the abyss'. Conan laughs, but the people snarl."

[insanityclause]

EXCLUSIVE: Sigourney Weaver will make her West End stage debut as storm-creating sorcerer Prospero in The Tempest and Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell will play sparring lovers Benedick and Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing when director Jamie Lloyd returns Shakespeare early this winter to the historic Theatre Royal Drury Lane, a landmark venue in Covent Garden owned by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Weaver, star of Ridley Scott’s Alien movies and James Cameron’s Avatar epics, last starred in one of Will’s plays when she played Portia in a 1986 off-Broadway revival of The Merchant of Venice. 

As a sophomore at Stanford in 1979, she played Goneril in a traveling production of King Lear. 

The star once revealed that she pretended “I was doing Henry V the entire time” she was playing Ripley in Alien. “I thought, ‘Well, as a woman, I’ll never be cast as Henry V, so this is my Henry V,” Weaver told New York magazine in a 2012 interview. 

“Sigourney knows her Shakespeare, she knows theater, and I  could not be more excited that she has agreed to play this role,“ Lloyd told Deadline.

He also said that he’s “thrilled” that “my dear friends Tom and Hayley” are headlining the romantic comedy Much Ado About Nothing in his Jamie Lloyd Company Drury Lane Shakespeare season.

The first preview of The Tempest is December 7, and it runs through February 1.

The first Much Ado About Nothing preview is on February 10, and that runs until April 5.

Built in 1763, the Theatre Royal Drury Lane became a popular venue for performances of Shakespeare. David Garrick and the ancient thespian greats played the Bard’s work there.

Lloyd Webber and his LW Theatre company spent an estimated $77M on a superbly realized restoration of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, and he’d noted several times that he wanted Shakespeare back at The Lane, as it’s affectionately known, because he fondly remembers at age 9 being taken to see Gielgud in The Tempest “and it clearly made an impression on him,” said Lloyd.

The two men formed a close bond when they worked together on the now-Broadway-bound Olivier Award-winning Sunset Boulevard starring an incandescent Nicole Scherzinger as Norma Desmond.

“Andrew told me the story about Gielgud snapping Prospero’s staff on the last night and announcing that The Lane would be lost to musicals forever,” the director said.

Oklahoma! and other shows had preceded The Tempest, and it was to be immediately followed by My Fair Lady and many other musicals since.

One day, unexpectedly, the composer and impresario told Lloyd ,”Look, I’ve always wanted Shakespeare back at Drury Lane.”

Lloyd was shown around the theatre, was open to exploring “all the possibilities” and felt excited to be the first company to bring Shakespeare back to The Lane.

It made sense that The Tempest needed to be the one that marked the return.

Lloyd told us that he had an epiphany one night that Sigourney Weaver playing Prospero would “create theatrical electricity.”

He fired off an email Weaver’s agent, who responded that it was unlikely that she’d want to engage because Weaver hadn’t performed Shakespeare in public for over 30 years, and the last time she was on a stage was when she did Christopher Durang’s Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike in NYC in 2012.

The very next morning, Lloyd continued, ”There was an email in my inbox with the subject, “Hello from Sigourney.” And she wrote me this amazing email — really passionate, excited email. We got on Zoom straight away, and we had an amazing, inspiring conversation. She’s such a lovely, witty person. So insightful. She’d read the play, especially from a perspective of a woman playing Prospero. And that really excited her and it made sense and illuminated the play in new ways. And so she’s coming to make her West End debut at Drury Lane playing Prospero in The Tempest.”

He added that he kept coming back to Weaver’s performances “in all those iconic movies — Ghostbusters, Gorillas in the Mist, Working Girl, all of them.” 

Lloyd went a little bit fanboy and told her that he’d seen “Alien more times than any other movie. And I just thought, ‘How amazing would it be to work with someone that you’ve admired since you were a kid?’ Oh, wow. And to bring her to London. And again, it just feels like such an event.” 

The director believes that Weaver’s “commanding presence, huge charisma and that amazing power” is perfect to play Prospero. And that she can “clearly get into the complexity of the role” of this person “with delusions of vengeance, this kind of ruthless revenge against the people that have sent her away, to learning about forgiveness and love and compassion. There’s a real journey in that, isn’t there? And there’s a real internal struggle. And we talked about how a shipwreck can become a new kind of hope. Can’t there? I mean, really, that’s my sort of key thinking about the entire season, is that I just want this to be a really joyful season. And both of the plays are about the hope of the future and not dwelling on the past, maybe,“ he said. 

Lloyd added that he felt “honored” that Weaver even responded to his email because he thought “it bode so well in terms of just a direct email straight away; it’s very personal. As we know, sometimes people kind of do things through their teams and managers. But actually, she knows what theater is, and she knows it’s about relationships.”

Lloyd’s well aware of that too. 

He goes way back with Hiddleston, even further with Atwell.

Back in early 2019, Lloyd directed a hauntingly sublime version of Harold Pinter’s Betrayal with Hiddleston, Zawe Ashton and Charlie Cox at the Harold Pinter Theatre. It quickly transferred to the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre for a limited run, where it was nominated for four Tony Awards.

Lloyd has remained close to his cast ever since.

Similarly with Atwell, who he directed in Alexi Kaye Campbell’s 2011 play The Faith Machine at London’s Royal Court Theatre. They reunited two years later in a revival of Kaye’s The Pride, in which Atwell excelled, at the Trafalgar Studios. The drama was an early example of Lloyd’s then-nascent Jamie Lloyd Company, which at the time was in partnership with ATG Entertainment.

He added that it’s “very meaningful” in terms of the season for him to be working with “those two old collaborators, they’re Jamie  Lloyd Company alumni. And I think they’re both two of the finest of our generation, aren’t they? And they know each other well. So there’s an instant chemistry between the two of them, and I can’t wait to see what they come up with for Benedick and Beatrice.”

Lloyd’s enjoyed watching Hiddleston and Atwell on screens both big and small. He mentioned Hiddleston’s performance in The Night Manager — he’s in the midst of shooting its sequel — and the actor’s adventures playing Loki in the various levels of the Marvel Universe. “And he still comes home to the theatre whenever he can,” Lloyd marveled.

Atwell soared in the Marvel Universe as well, plus she has been starring with Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Part One and its follow-up Mission: Impossible 8. She was remarkable in a a revival of Rosmersholm, directed by Ian Rickson at the Duke of York’s in 2019, the year before she played Isabel for director Josie Rourke in Measure for Measure at the Donmar Warehouse. 

“So she’s the real deal,” Lloyd declared. “Both are, and they’re also both very witty people. … They’ve got this great intelligence, this great wit,” Lloyd observed, perfect qualities for Much Ado About Nothing, which he called “a joyful play.”

Although he complained that he has seen it played a touch too “broad.”

He said that it doesn’t need to be played at a “slapstick pace” to be fun. “The language in its own right is funny. I think they’ll be amazing sparring partners but also hint at that kind of tenderness under the surface.”

Both productions of The Tempest and Much Ado About Nothing will be stripped back, and he will ponder with frequent collaborator Soutra  Gilmour on how the shows will look and feel. 

There’s a shipwreck in The Tempest, but Lloyd won’t reveal whether he’s tempted or not to place one on the Drury Lane’s boards.

However, unlike his Sunset Boulevard and Romeo and Juliet productions, he won’t be using video as part of the performance for the Drury Lane shows.

“They’ll be stripped down, but no video. I’m saving all the video energy for Sunset Boulevard on Broadway,” he explained.

The two Shakespeares will run between Disney’s Frozen, which closes September 8, and musical Hercules, which begins performances in summer 2025.

“That’s why the Shakespeare season is a strictly limited total of 16 weeks,” said Lloyd. He added that there have been no discussions about the plays being captured by the National Theatre’s NT Live cameras, nor has there been talk of transferring to Broadway. 

“I always just make something for the theatre in which it’s meant to be performed, and then we see the after that,” Lloyd said during a conversation at the Jamie Lloyd Company offices located in a wing of Somerset House on the Strand, literally a stone’s throw from the Drury Lane.

We first touched base about the possibility of Shakespeare at Drury Lane late last year and have kept talking, on and off, since.

All kinds of names were bandied about by a few in the know. “Tom Hanks,” someone gleefully told me. Wrong Tom, old boy.

“Margot Robbie,” another boasted. 

“It’s so funny. I’ve heard these names, “ said Lloyd, “but no, not true. I mean, I would love to work with Margot Robbie on a play. I think she’s remarkable, isn’t she? And she came to see A Doll’s House that we did with Jessica Chastain. And that would be a dream come true to work with her.”

However, he revealed that he had spoken to Robbie “a couple of times” but “not” about Shakespeare.

“I think, as I say, one day, she’d like to explore the idea of doing a play, but let’s see what happens,” he cautioned.

Lloyd soon heads back to New York to begin rehearsals for Sunset Boulevard.

He and Weaver plan to meet up while he’s there to discuss her Prospero. He noted that the name won’t switch gender to Prospera as happened with Julie Taymor’s 2010 film of The Tempest, where the revengeful noble magician was played by Helen Mirren.

“It will remain Prospero,” Lloyd insisted.

Rehearsals for The Tempest will begin in London on October 28, “literally a week after we open Sunset on Broadway,” Lloyd said. 

His Jamie Lloyd Company will produce the season alone without the participation of ATG Entertainment.

The 16-week Shakespeare season will feature 25,000 tickets for £25 [US$32] and they’ll be “ring-fenced exclusively” for under-30s, key workers and those receiving government benefits. He said that he’s “well aware” that in the past wealthier folk who can afford to pay steeper prices have taken unfair advantage and gobbled up specially priced cheaper seats.

“These are good seats too,” he beamed. But they will introduce new methods to ensure the cheap seats go to the “right people.”

Working on The Tempest at Drury Lane will sort of complete a circle of coincidence for Weaver. 

She’ll be taking on a role last performed there by Gielgud.

Her first Broadway credit in 1975 was to work on a revival of W. Somerset Maugham’s The Constant Wife, starring Ingrid Bergman.

Weaver worked as an assistant stage manager and understudy.

The production was directed by John Gielgud.

[joseline-woodhouse]

@probably-bad-idea and I had a small discussion about it and I'm bringing it up again due to the new chapter:

So I said Prospero and Montresor would both be rooks and Eulalie and Berenice are the Bishop pair. Now the new chapter revealed this to be wrong, but it also revealed the characters to be clearly separated into queen side and king side.

So Montresor is a proven rook, Prospero is a proven queen side bishop.

My theory on the others:

Will is a Queen side pawn, Morella a central pawn and pluto a king side pawn.

They are all technically disposable strategy wise, but the queenside pawn is more likely to promote into another piece in most set-ups, the central pawns determine the structure of the game more than other pieces on the field and try too keep control amd order in the most vital part of the board, the king side pawns are more likely to be important defenders of the king and lead an attack of other pieces in more set-ups than queen side pawns.

I said Berenice and Eulalie are the bishop pair, but that can't be right now since they're both king and Prospero is a confirmed bishop.

So I am saying Eulalie is the king side bishop.

Ada and Duke would be the horseys (or knights if you want). The knight is more difficult to predict than other pieces, really useful closed (tight) positions and not so strong on their own since they can't move as fast as the other main pieces.

That would leave Berenice to be the second rook besides Montresor. Both of them are heavy hitters, but both of them are cowards in a way. Montresor trying to hide behind others all the time and Berenice straight up trying to refuse any dangerous challenge until Eulalie pushes her. Rooks are very vulnerable pieces because they are so strong. It makes it very worthwhile for other pieces to sacrifice themselves to get rid of a rook. So the rook will often hide behind other pieces until the end game where it can really show of it's strength.

[une-sanz-pluis]

I've been thinking about Henry VI's sexuality and Edward of Lancaster's supposed illegitimacy and came to the conclusion that the most popular narratives about these things are so incredibly poisoned by ableism.

(warnings for ableism, mentions of discrimination against non-normative gender and sexuality, mentions of rape.)

For a start, there's the very good point raised by @themidnightcircusshow in this post about the narrative that Edward had to be illegitimate because Henry didn't immediately snap out of his catatonia at the sight of his infant son.

But I'd argue that ableism is at least partly responsible for how Henry's humanity is perceived. That is, he's rarely depicted as human but an empty body at the centre of spectacle (e.g. The White Queen, John Watt's Henry VI and the Politics of Kingship). As far as gender goes, it feels like he's depicted as neither male nor female but neuter. There is a hatred of non-normative gender and sexuality, especially towards the way that Henry "fails" to live up to the ideals of manhood and masculinity as both king and husband, but ableism also plays a large part too. Depicting Henry as neuter furthers the sense of his non-human status while his mental illness also serves to explain "why" he fails to be properly masculine and properly human.

(I am not talking here about sympathetic depictions of Henry that show him a non-binary and/or asexual figure but dehumanising ones that treat his gender and sexuality as one of many things "wrong" with him and use it to prove he’s not really human.)

But it's also things like...

the default assumption that of course a man with severe mental illness could not possibly be physically capable of having sex or impregnating his wife (cf. that novel where Margaret mocks Henry's belief he got her pregnant with his "pathetic thrusts", a line burnt into my brain)

the default assumption that of course the wife of a man with a severe mental illness couldn't possibly be sexually attracted to him or must have cheated on him (though she must be demonised for the cheating).

the default assumption that of course Henry is so detached from reality and lacking in intelligence he didn't know how babies were conceived and, unlike every single other person in England, didn't know his wife was cucking him.

the above ties into uncritical but near universal acceptance of the extremely dubious story* that Henry claimed that the Holy Spirit fathered his son as proof of Edward's illegitimacy and Henry's gullibility.

Unrelated to the above, which depict Edward of Lancaster as, naturally, illegitimate, is the ableism and rape culture inherent in depictions where Henry does father Edward but not because he wants or chooses to have sex with his wife. No, I'm talking about the novels that frame Margaret sympathetically but believe that Henry can't really feel human emotions so it's actually a brilliantly astute and totally understandable move by Margaret to have sex with him when he's incapacitated in some way. There's sympathy extended to Margaret, the rapist presented as a victim of Henry's failure to "be a man", but none to Henry, the actual victim.

(I'm not talking here about sympathetic depictions of Henry as asexual, sex-repulsed, non-binary or dealing with trauma, dealing with fertility issues, or any other issue relating to his ability to have sex. I'm yet to find any of these outside of tumblr and AO3. I'm talking about the depictions of Henry common in histories, commentaries and novels of the Wars of the Roses.)

* The one and only source for this story are the dispatches by Prospero di Camulio, a Milanese ambassador to France, and he mentions this story in passing as one of the rumours he heard in 1461 and suggests "these may only be the words of common fanatics". In other words, our one source for this story is pretty sceptical of its truth.

[candyswirls]

An Eye for an Eye, A Pup for a Pup

Summary: Finnja, a wolf priest with a tender heart for neophytes, experiences multiple losses of aspirants, or pups, in a row. After being called a second time to execute a legion he finds he cannot bring himself to harm their neophytes.

This leads to Leman Russ promising the priest that if they are ever called to execute another legion he may take and adopt one neophyte. They are now on their way to Prospero. He hopes Leman remembers and upholds his promise.

Warnings: CW: Mention of death, CW: loss of child/youth, CW: Blood, Typical 40K violence

He stared down at the neophyte, no more than a lad. He scooted further between the wall and bed frame, eyes wide with fear. His blue eyeshadow and kohl were smudge with blood spatter.

The Wolf Priest easily moved the bed out of the way and the neophyte flopped to the floor. The youth looked up at the wolf priest and he could feel psychic waves roll up at him.

Please. Don’t kill me. I’m scared. I will fight to the very end.

The wolf priest crouched before the youth and extended a hand.

This one would do. He’d be his pup.

***

Finnja rested his head in his hands. Even after he washed off the blood, he could still see it on his fingers. Especially when he closed his eyes. He’d been trying to do so for years now.

A failure of a wolf priest he was. So many neophytes and initiates lost. So many failed surgeries. Even now as they had been called forth as the emperors executioners a second time, he hesitated. He couldn’t bring himself to fulfill those orders. He froze. The other legion’s fearful yet brave initiates, neophytes, and scouts burned into his mind, as his legions own pups were.

Surely the Wolf King himself would have him be demoted, killed, or turned into a servitor.

He sat now in one of the freezers of Hrafnkel. He found that the cold air helped ground him, reminding him of Fenris.

The door unlatched and he looked up to see the Russ enter, closing it behind him. He wore a stern expression.

Finnja lowered his head in submission.

“Finnja,” he said in a low voice. “You hesitated. No, you froze. I’d like to know why one of my best wolf priests failed me today.”

That last line was all it took to break him. Tears began streaming down his cheeks. He struggled to control his breathing.

He felt his genesire’s hands on his shoulders.

“Finnja,” Leman said. “Finnja look at me. What is wrong?”

Finnja gritted his teeth, “I am not your best wolf priest! How can you call me that after…”

He swallowed as the memories surfaced.

“After I lost so many aspirants,” he choked. “So many blood claws. One after another.”

Leman softened in his voice, “Finnja that is not your fault.”

Finnja looked up at his primarch, “Is it not though? So many in a row! In such ways the others refused to be out under my hand! I lost so many of them. So many… I have failed you, the legion, and them. I am not fit to be a wolf priest, let alone one of your warriors.”

He lowered his head again.

“You are tender about this,” Leman commented as he moved to sit next to Finnja.

Finnja threw out his hands, “I still see each of their faces! Their faces! I know each of their names! I knew them! They trusted me and… I killed them. Innocent pups. They were just innocent pups. So eager to serve. So eager for battle. I can still hear them. Still see their blood on my hands.”

More tears streamed down his cheeks.

Leman insisted again, “it is not your fault. You did everything you could for them. A bad batch of geneseed. A bad batch of antibiotics. A bad batch of organs. Because of you we discovered the treachery of that adept. This could have gone on for a lot longer. You have saved countless other pups and blood claws.”

Finnja ran his hand through his hair, “I still cannot get over the ones I killed. Then to be called to execute again and to see all those neophytes. All those lads. Just pups… I saw the faces of ours in them. I-I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t bring myself to kill them. All I could see was ours. Torburr, Ronin, Iver. I could see Iver for thrones sake! He sounded just like him! His screams too!”

Finnja covered his face again as he cried.

Leman sighed and rested a hand on Finnja’s head.

“Each time we are called to exterminate another one of my brothers,” he said. “I loathe it. Seeing their desperate and betrayed faces. The hurt it brings them. The pleads of mercy. I despise it. But I follow the emperor, my father, because I am loyal and I will follow what he says. It is my duty.”

Finnja looked up at his Father.

“My Jarl Russ,” he spoke. “I will follow you into any battle and carry out any order. I will not hesitate again. But if we are called to do this again. If I have to witness and enact the slaughter of aspirants and neophytes… I will do it, but you will also have to carry out my body. I know I will not live through it. I could not allow myself to do so. Not when I’m already trying so hard to protect and raise up our own. My hearts cannot take it. Forgive my weakness and tender soul.”

Leman was silent for a bit. Finnja prepared for the worst. His Primarch’s rage, the howling, punishment.

But none of that came.

“You have suffered much loss as of late,” Leman stated. “I too feel their loss. You do good work. More pups have been able to ascend to Bloodclaw full Astartes due to your efforts. Emperor forbid it, but if we ever are called to execute another legion again… I promise this to you: you may pick one neophyte you deem worthy and moldable to save. You can keep them and thehcan become a part of our legion. Adopt them into our ways and pack. This I swear unto you that it may ease your burden. Though I pray it never comes to that again.”

Finnja nodded, “Thank you, my Jarl. Even just the promise alone is comforting.”

Leman nodded and stood.

“Come,” he ordered. “There is work to be done. The remaining members of my brother’s legion are to be delivered to the ultramarines.”

Finnja nodded and followed his Primarch out. Wondering if he would ever have the chance to do so, comforted by the very thought.

***

Dark tension and anticipation filled the ship. The Warmaster’s message had come in not even hours before hand but word had spread quickly. They were not to bring the Red Sorcerer back to Terra in chains. This was an execution. An extinguishing of his entire legion.

Finnja moved towards his Primarch’s room with urgency. He was fortunate to come across him in the hallway.

“Jarl Russ,” he greeted.

“What is it Finnja?” Leman questioned.

“May I speak to you?” He inquired. “It is about the upcoming… extermination.”

Leman nodded and motioned for the wolf priest to follow. Geri and Freki flanked the Primarch as they entered his chambers.

Once the door was shut, it was just the two of them and the wolves.

“Are you wishing to back out of the battle?” Leman inquired, an edge of warning in his voice.

Finnja shook his head, “No, my Primarch. I only wish to see if you remembered your promise to me all those years ago and if it still stands. I hope it still does.”

Leman sighed and stared off at nothing.

“I do not like the idea of one of my brother’s wretched witches joining our ranks,” Leman growled. “It is better to have them all exterminated.”

Finnja had prepared for the worst but he hadn’t anticipated the heavy pain in his hearts.

Leman looked at his son, “But I did promise you and I know this has given you solace.”

Finnja couldn’t help but light up. He could barely contain his smile.

Leman softened again at his son’s demeanor, “my promise still stands. But only one. No others.”

Finnja dropped to one knee, “Thank you my Jarl.”

“Finishing prepping,” Leman said. “We will arrive quicker than you think.”