Complete Works: Table Top Shakespeare
A cast of household objects
Shakespeare died four hundred years ago in 1616, which is a compelling reason to stage extensive commemorations in Great Britain and far beyond. Forced Entertainment – the most adventurous of British theatre companies – had never previously ventured into the work of this British legend. But they are now making up for this in spades – by performing his complete works over a period of just six days. Not the entire plays, but condensed versions of them. Each of the six actors took six texts and distilled their essence to arrive at thirty-six beautiful miniature performances, each around 36 minutes long. The cast is made up of household objects, and the stage is a metre-long tabletop.
“What we’re doing is like taking the engine out of the car and putting all the little bits on the ground and then assembling it in order”, explains Tim Etchells. The stunning result attests – for the millionth time – to Shakespeare’s dynamic force of narrative, not to mention Forced Entertainment’s dramaturgical skill.
• For twenty years, Forced Entertainment has been a permanent fixture on the Kaaitheater programme. The past seasons, they made their mark with performances such as The Notebook and Tomorrow’s Parties. They recently won the prestigious Ibsen Award.
'We’re in at the deep end, and somehow pretty much dodge the bullet at the same time.'
– Tim Etchells’ notes on Complete Works
CATCH YOUR FAVOURITES!
TUE 7/03
19:00 Macbeth, Richard Lowdon
20:00 Richard II, Terry O’Connor
21:00 Pericles, Cathy Naden
22:00 A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Jerry Killick
WED 8/03
19:00 Loves Labour’s Lost, Robin Arthur
20:00 Henry IV Part 1, Jerry Killick
21:00 Cymbeline, Terry O’Connor
22:00 The Merchant of Venice, Nicki Hobday
THU 9/03
19:00 Titus Andronicus, Robin Arthur
20:00 Henry IV Part 2, Jerry Killick
21:00 The Merry Wives of Windsor, Terry O’Connor
22:00 Othello, Cathy Naden
FRI 10/03
19:00 Much Ado About Nothing, Richard Lowdon
20:00 Henry V, Nicki Hobday
21:00 The Winter’s Tale, Cathy Naden
22:00 King Lear, Robin Arthur
SAT 11/03
12:00 Romeo and Juliet, Terry O’Connor
13:00 Henry VI Part 1, Richard Lowdon
14:00 All’s Well That Ends Well, Nicki Hobday
15:00 Timon of Athens, Robin Arthur
16:00 Twelfth Night, Jerry Killick
18:00 Antony and Cleopatra, Cathy Naden
19:00 Henry VI Part 2, Richard Lowdon
20:00 Two Gentlemen of Verona, Nicki Hobday
21:00 Julius Caesar, Robin Arthur
22:00 Hamlet, Terry O’Connor
SUN 12/03
12:00 Coriolanus, Jerry Killick
13:00 Henry VI Part 3, Richard Lowdon
14:00 The Taming of the Shrew, Nicki Hobday
15:00 King John, Cathy Naden
16:00 As You Like It, Robin Arthur
18:00 Troilus and Cressida, Jerry Killick
19:00 Richard III, Nicki Hobday
20:00 The Comedy of Errors, Terry O’Connor
21:00 Measure for Measure, Cathy Naden
22:00 The Tempest, Richard Lowdon
Choose 10 or more shows and get a up to 50% discount!
HUNGRY? Soups and snacks will be availble!
'King John played by a potato masher? It's Shakespeare on a plate.' - The Guardian
conceived and devised by Forced Entertainment | performers Robin Arthur, Jerry Killick, Richard Lowdon, Nicki Hobday, Cathy Naden, Terry O’Connor | director Tim Etchells | text Robin Arthur, Tim Etchells, Jerry Killick, Richard Lowdon, Claire Marshall, Cathy Naden, Terry O’Connor | design Richard Lowdon | sound, lighting Design Jim Harrison | production Jim Harrison, Forced Entertainment | co-production Berliner Festspiele, Foreign Affairs Festival (Berlin), Theaterfestival Basel
