Coming up soon in London is a real treat for fans of George Bernard Shaw, and an opportunity for anyone to learn more about his work and motivations.

The inaugural Shaw Festival is produced by The Shaw Society in partnership with The Irish Cultural Centre. 

I am a fan of Shaw’s work and, if you are not, I would like you to be. And with that in mind, I thought it would good to find out more about the festival and talk about the relevance of the writer’s oeuvre today. 

I spoke to Murray Rosenthal of The Shaw Society ahead of this week’s events.

CM: Can you start by telling us a bit about the Shaw Festival?  What sort of events can we expect from it?
MR: This is an inaugural event for the purpose of bringing Shaw’s plays and beliefs to London’s theatre lovers, students, and to members of both The Shaw Society and to the Irish Cultural Centre of Hammersmith.

We will be presenting two performances of ‘Candida’, two lectures on various aspects of Shaw, two videos related to Shaw, and a rare film.

CM: What prompted the creation of the Shaw Festival?
MR: Last summer, The Shaw Society presented ‘Arms And The Man’ at Shaw’s Corner, his home after his wedding. The strong response to the production, presented by The Rumpus Theatre Company, prompted us to bring this year’s production to London prior to its presentation in Shaw’s Corner. 

We contacted ICC and they told us that they would be very pleased to collaborate with us. We then decided to add some other events and call it a festival. Two lectures, a film and two receptions were added, hence, the inaugural Shaw Festival.

CM: Can you tell us about your lecture on ‘Shaw And Feminism’?  Why did you want to focus on this element of his work?
MR: Shaw has been somewhat misunderstood regarding his relationship to women. He was strongly affected by the plays of Ibsen which promoted social change through the power of women. I wanted to present this in my lecture through both the independent women in his life and through his plays.

CM: Can you tell us a bit about how his work reflects progressive views about women and their social status? Why is he ahead of his time in this respect?
MR: Given Ibsen’s plays demonstrating the power of women, particularly in his four final plays, I would not say that Shaw was not ahead of his time, but I would say this was a continuum of what Ibsen started.

Ibsen was a depressed man which is represented in his final plays. Shaw gave his plays wit and more natural characters. It was his fascination with Ibsen that prompted Shaw to commence writing plays.

CM: Do you think his progressive views could be instrumental in piquing the interest of younger generations? Are his political ideas still relevant today?
MR: That is a very interesting question. Certainly in his depiction of women he is relevant today. 

Regarding his ideas pertaining to socialism, I feel that it is a yes and no. Yes, because we are experiencing the greatest inequality of income throughout the world today. No, because we have tried all types of socialism and it has not worked. The ideas are indeed wonderful but ultimately greed and lust for money takes over.

To me, the best example is Israel. It started as a socialist state with the kibbutzim and today it is the most capitalistic state.  

However, I feel that his plays will continue to be produced as they have great entertainment value with well developed plots and characters; all with much wit. 

CM: Will you be attending all the other events that are on as part of the festival? Is there anything you want to highlight?
MR: As part of the team developing this event, I will be on the premises during the entire festival. Regarding highlighting an event, in my opinion, they are all to be experienced.

CM: Can you tell us a bit about yourself? how did you come to be working in the arts and what are the different elements of your career?
MR: This is the most difficult question so far as I have lived a long life and have lived mostly in New York City.

I started as a clinical dentist and then segued to public health, working with and for the federal government and New York City. That lasted thirty years.

Thirty years ago, all that changed as I moved into the world of opera and theatre while keeping a part time clinical dental practice. Somehow, the centre of my activities in both opera and theatre has moved in the past ten years from New York to London, where I now live very part time.

CM: What have been the highlights of your career so far?
MR: This is difficult for me as I have had a long career, but here are a few. Receiving a Bronze Star after one year of service in the Vietnamese War. Serving as the director of the New York City Bureau Of Dental Health Services. 

Receiving a Tony Award for ‘Red’ in 2010. And having a wonderful relationship with my longtime partner Philip Hagemann. 

CM: What aims and ambitions do you have for the future?
MR: In a few months, I will be 87 years of age. So, given that, my aim is to continue maintaining good physical health with a clear and decisive mind.

With that, I will continue to give my best support to The Shaw Society and continue to be active in my other interests.

CM: What’s coming up next for you after this?
MR: Just more of the same, unless something unexpected comes up and I will give that a go.

The inaugural Shaw Festival takes place at the Irish Cultural Centre from 10-12 Jul. See the listings on the venue website here. 

LINKS: irishculturalcentre.co.uk | shawsociety.org.uk