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12
Aug
Lauren Crisp is a book editor, writer and keen follower of arts and culture. She reviews theatre and cultural events in and around the district in her spare time.
You can contact Lauren on laurencrispwriter@gmail.com.
The HandleBards is no ordinary touring theatre company. For the last decade, these sprightly thespians have taken it upon themselves to cycle the length and breadth of the country to perform their pedal-powered, sustainable brand of Shakespeare in every corner of the country.
On Sunday night, they steered into Knaresborough to perform The Comedy of Errors to a picnicking crowd in the leafy grounds of Conyngham Hall, as part of the town’s long-running FEVA festival programme.
Considered the Bard’s first comedy, the play concerns the farcical misadventures of two sets of identical twins, crammed with hilarious mishaps and mistaken identities.
The company, understandably, travel light, and their productions are famously, and most charmingly, small scale and stripped back. There is no real set to speak of, no amplification, and any instrumental accompaniment is offered by simple, hand-played percussion.
Vaudeville-inspired, with clown-like costume, slapstick, sound effects and brief acapella musical intermissions, the play is lent a pastoral charm perfect for its outdoor staging. The company’s bicycles, on which they arrived that day, are also relied upon as props.
(Image: Tom Dixon)
A brilliant cast of just four players take on the twins and myriad other characters. Swapping accents and outfits, they deftly character-hop in front of our eyes, often within the same scene.
The actors mingle with the crowd and merrily help themselves to picnic items; they work with their audience, to engage both young and old and invite them to the action.
Both despite and because of its minimalism, the production is truly delightful. The company bring Shakespeare to life. It’s charming and funny, but mostly, it’s down to earth and hugely friendly.
One cast member was a last-minute replacement and while he held a script in hand, there is such a lack of pretension about this production, such a charm to it, that it mattered not a jot. In fact, he rarely referred to his script, such was his prowess.
The HandleBards’ Shakespeare is for everyone; it’s entertainment in its purest form. It feels as though this is just how the Bard meant for his plays to be performed.
The Comedy of Errors is touring the country until September 2024. Knaresborough’s FEVA festival runs until August 18, 2024.
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