About Back Room Shakespeare
The Tempest, August 2017
Macbeth, October 2017
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, June 2025
We're not trying to re-create Elizabethan London.
We're trying make a space where Shakespeare's beautiful, bawdy and bloody plays feel at home. Where actors can be responsible for their own creative work. We’re looking for a party. A riot! A hoot! We try to turn people on, and turn nothing off - not even the cellphone. It's storytime, not judgement day.
So: welcome!
The bar's in the front, the play's in the back. Visit one and then the other - in the order and with the frequency that you see fit.
The Values
We don't have directors. We rely on the enthusiasm and discipline of the actors.
But we do seek greatness. We seek after the heart of Shakespeare's text: hot blooded, reckless, light hearted and generous. These are the values that guide us:
Clarity
Make the audience understand what you say.
Courage
Don’t be afraid.
Authenticity
Say it in your own voice. No, really.
Generosity
Serve the whole play, not just your bit!
Actuality
Respond to what’s actually happening in the room.
Velocity
Move forward at the speed of thought.
Twelfth Night, April 2017
The Tempest, August 2017
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, July 2019
Julius Caesar, May 2024
As You Like It, September 2018