I sat down with writers and performers Bradley Stephen Lewis and Bianca Tornea to find out more about UnShakespearean Nightmares coming to The Playground Theatre this November as part of Voila! Festival.
Can you tell me a little about your show and what audiences can expect?
Audiences can expect a rambunctious comedy that brings Shakespearean characters back to life and reimagines them in the modern world. It’s Shakespeare turned on its head in an absurdist way and aimed at those who love the Bard’s work and those who don’t have very fond memories of studying Shakespeare at school.
What drew you to this specific story?
The idea came to me over a Christmas break while I was thinking about shows I enjoy, such as Into the Woods, The Play That Goes Wrong and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged).
I began to wonder what would happen if the Bard and his characters came back from the dead and demanded a brand new story of their own. I’ve always loved stories that take classics or beloved characters and reinvent them in unexpected ways. It’s been done with other stories, so why not Shakespeare?
What has been the biggest challenge in bringing this production to life?
The show is a full workout from start to finish for the cast. Lots of quick changes, high-energy scenes and physical comedy. We always need our sweatbands ready.
How does the design of your show (set, sound, or lighting) impact the presentation of your story?
Our show is set in Shakespearean purgatory, a void where characters go for a moment’s peace before their souls are summoned back to earth by an actor for a performance. Sound and Lighting play a big part in establishing the atmosphere of purgatory, with sounds such as thunder claps, flash bangs and toilet flushes…
If you could sum up the show in one word or phrase, what would it be and why?
But soft, what chaos from yonder purgatory breaks.
Our show brings back both iconic and obscure characters alike in something that can only be described as a complete UnShakespearean nightmare.
UnShakespearean Nightmares runs at The Playground Theatre, London, on 7 – 8 November. Tickets available at https://www.voilafestival.co.uk/events/unshakespearean-nightmares/
