Chicago Tribune
- Somewhat Recommended
"...Sweet William," the one-man show by the noted English Shakespearean Michael Pennington contains some snatches of performance, copious amounts of biography, less copious amounts of autobiography, a few anecdotes, some moralizing and a little humor. But it is, in essence, a lecture. With brief interjections of acting."
Chicago Sun Times
- Highly Recommended
"...It is the intriguingly detailed and insightful chronicle of the world through which Shakespeare walked that in many ways is the most fascinating aspect of this two-hour, two-act show -- a production that is never didactic, but seems to flow in much the same way as Shakespeare's storytelling. Pennington clearly has learned from the master."
Chicago Reader
- Recommended
"...A consummate director, actor, and company manager, Sir Michael Pennington has seen and felt Shakespeare from the inside out, and his engrossing, two-act solo show is one master thespian's appreciation of another. While offering biographical data and telling anecdotes, Pennington also reveals the method in Shakespeare's madness with forensic precision, pointing out parallels among the works, patterns in the wordplay, and evolution in the treatment of love and greatness. Comparing the sorry fates of Shakespeare's literary and real-life children, Pennington makes it clear that the Bard wrote from himself as much as for the Globe."
EpochTimes
- Highly Recommended
"...Pennington blends the story-telling with excerpts from different pieces, going in and out of characters with great ease. Set on a blank stage (just a wooden chair) and very few lighting cues, the story is that of Shakespeare the writer and his works as created and performed by Pennington. While many of us know his works, how many of us know the secrets behind the characters and plots, the politics that were an important part of this esteemed writer? Pennington opens our eyes to just how wonderful and universal these works are. He is quoted on a regular basis, and in many cases, those who are quoting him have no idea that they are."
Copley News Service
- Highly Recommended
"...Michael Pennington is giving a master class in Shakespeare at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. It’s an event not to be missed by anyone with an interest in the Bard, which is to say, all serious theatergoers."
Centerstage
- Recommended
"...In exploring what Shakespeare did and why he might have done it, Pennington also reveals the best explanation of why he himself does what he does: the hope that there will be an 11-year-old somewhere in the crowd that will fall in love the way he did."
Time Out Chicago
- Recommended
"...The prospect of a one-man show on Shakespeare’s life and work may fill one with trepidation, conjuring dread specters of eighth-grade assemblies. The rather saccharine title doesn’t help Sweet William’s cause, either. But Royal Shakespeare Company veteran and English Shakespeare Company founder Pennington delivers a captivating evening, wedding the spirits of the Chicago Humanities Festival and Inside the Actors Studio, with generous dollops of Bardic performance along the way."
ChicagoCritic
- Highly Recommended
"...Pennington is a scholar, actor and intellectual thinker whose love, respect and honest presentation of all things Shakespeare is a joy to behold. He presents The Bard as a human being, foibles and all; as a practical stage craftsman; and commercial producer of stage plays. He also aptly presents Shakespeare’s unique take on love, women, heroes and the comic low-life colorful characters he used to balance out his plays."
