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A political occupation of Shakespeare, developed by Associate Artistic Director Ameera Conrad with the cast made up of local talent.
Join five Merseyside-based performers as they rip off the Bard’s ruff and create new stories for some of his best-known ‘heroines’.
Lady Macbeth – murderous.
Cleopatra – conniving.
Viola – witty.
Katherine – difficult.
Ophelia – tragic.
The so-called ‘facts’ of their stories; stories steeped in racism, patriarchy, and violence. But the facts are untrue, these stories just won’t do.
These five characters have had enough. They’re breaking the paper ceiling of Shakespeare’s Complete Works to tell their own stories and repurpose old tales for the next generation.
Watch them blow the dust off the classics, tear out the pages, and stage a multi-art form political occupation of Shakespeare with punchy verses, punky attitudes, and whole lotta wit.
Get with it, or get the f–k out the way.
“We stand here now, to speak but for ourselves
Our lives will not be stories on your shelves.”
Who The F–k is Shakespeare? Actors Lab 2023
Dates & Venues:
Thursday 30 Nov – Saturday 2 December – Unity Theatre, Liverpool
Supported by LAMDA and Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Funded by Arts Council England, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, John Ellerman Foundation, Garrick Trust, and Liverpool City Council.
Performance Dates:
Thursday 30 Nov – Saturday 2 December 2023
Show Information
Content Warnings
Loud noises, haze, and fake weapons. Discussions around gender, violence, patricide, suicide, war, murder, racism, patriarchy, I mean, listen, it’s Shakespeare. It is also funny, light, and just a bit tongue-in-cheek.
Accessibility
All shows are captioned, feature integrated audio description. One show per venue will be BSL interpreted.
Please contact venues to enquire about touch tours.
Cast
Leonisha Barley – Ophelia
Claire Beerjeraz – Cleopatra
Molly Hannah – Katherine
Marcy Rick – Viola/Cesario
Mary Savage – Lady Macbeth
Creative Team
Ameera Conrad – Director
Ameera Conrad, William Shakespeare – Writer
Leonisha Barley – Contributor
Natasha Patel – Producer
Xenia Bayer – Lighting Designer