17.39°C Lights, action, codpieces! The Bard has been a bit lazy over the last 400 years or so, so this inventive troupe has taken it upon themselves to create a new Shakespeare play, but with no idea what that will be. After an initial interaction with the audience, the words “Prophesy,” “Tomb,” “Bear,” and “Island” become the stepping stones, with Mersea Island in particular taking centre stage! Wonderfully inventive, familiar tropes are woven into the developing story, and the cast really enjoys themselves, conveying that enjoyment to the audience at the Headgate Theatre.
The ensemble, Tom Tokley, Allis Duff, Lucy Fennell, Rosy Fordham, and Octavia Gilmore, are experts in their field and, with skill and joyful abandon, create a story that has a definite structure. Fordham, in particular, was wonderful in reacting to the audience and switching between roles. One thing that amazes me is how the company remembered a throwaway improvised line and used it to deliver a successful denouement.
There are familiar scenes from the plays, such as a ghost (of course), the living statue from A Winter’s Tale (although Tokley’s moved far too much – much to the audience’s delight), and the political landscape of marrying well. The running gag about the spelling of Mersea worked a treat, proving that although they may have established structures in place, the work is genuinely improvised for the local audience. You really can see them more than once and not get the same tale!
In the second half, Boudicca and Henry V were added to the mix, and the company brought this story home beautifully. Highly skilled at what they do, this show was tremendous fun and marked their Essex debut!
Hopefully, we’ll see more of them again at the Headgate. In the meantime, check out their tour via Impromptu Shakespeare
Paul T. Davies
