Following a stellar sell-out run, four of Shakespeare’s (in)famous characters are back for a national tour and gearing up to tell their side of the story! In this radical reimagining of Shakespeare’s works, 20 Stories High will be blowing off the dust and breathing a new lease of life into Shakespeare’s classics. Tackling stories steeped in racism, patriarchy and violence, these old tales will be repurposed with punchy verses and punky attitudes for the next generation. All shows will be creatively captioned, with one BSL interpreted show per venue, as well as featuring integrated audio description.
This fantastic female and non-binary-led cast will star Mary Savage (Richard, My Richard, Shakespeare North Playhouse; The Boy and The Bird, Liverpool Theatre Festival) as Lady Macbeth, alongside North Irish actor Beca Barton (Perverts, Kings Head Theatre; Our Last First, The Space) as Viola. They will be joined by Brummie-born creative Jada-Li Warrican (The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe, Birmingham Rep; We Could All Be Perfect, Sheffield Theatre) in the role of Ophelia, alongside Harriett O’Grady (Richard III, Liverpool Playhouse) as Cleopatra.
.jpeg) |
| Jada-Li Warrican. Photo by Kate McDonald |
Striving to break down the stigma around Shakespeare, who the f--k is shakespeare? will retell a range of Shakespearean classics to diversify and encourage lovers, haters and newcomers of his work to explore and hear their stories first hand. Audiences will hear stories from Ophelia in Hamlet, Lady Macbeth from Macbeth, Cleopatra from Antony and Cleopatra, and Viola from Twelfth Night - but not as you know them! In this retelling, they are relatable, young and questioning their place in the world. All their lives, they have been told a specific narrative of who they are, but for the first time they will own the space to figure this out for themselves.
The show is heading out on a tour with dates in September and October 2024. Ahead of this we caught up with cast member Jada-Li Warrican to learn more.
What can you tell me about the show and your role within it?
who the f–k is shakespeare? is a play about four characters and it explores tragedy, love, heartbreak and vengeance, I'd say. It's really interestingly written because It's witty, it's punchy. There's bits of multi-rolling in it which is really exciting, so as an actor you get to delve into so many different types of characters in the world of Shakespeare.
Primarily I play Ophelia from the Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. So my role in that, in the narrative is to really provide a well rounded, 3D image of Ophelia as a woman, not just a plot device to further the story for Hamlet. She has so many moments where she is discovering herself, rediscovering herself, redefining herself, which is really important in the play. It's really exciting.
I think her role, really, is about acceptance of the woman that she is in the play, because in the world of the play, she's with quite powerful, fiery characters like Cleopatra and Lady Macbeth. And I think Ophelia's role is to just be exactly who she is, and for others to accept that.
who the f–k is shakespeare? is a play about four characters and it explores tragedy, love, heartbreak and vengeance, I'd say. It's really interestingly written because It's witty, it's punchy. There's bits of multi-rolling in it which is really exciting, so as an actor you get to delve into so many different types of characters in the world of Shakespeare.
Primarily I play Ophelia from the Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. So my role in that, in the narrative is to really provide a well rounded, 3D image of Ophelia as a woman, not just a plot device to further the story for Hamlet. She has so many moments where she is discovering herself, rediscovering herself, redefining herself, which is really important in the play. It's really exciting.
I think her role, really, is about acceptance of the woman that she is in the play, because in the world of the play, she's with quite powerful, fiery characters like Cleopatra and Lady Macbeth. And I think Ophelia's role is to just be exactly who she is, and for others to accept that.
What first attracted you to the part and the production?
I have previously worked with Ameera Conrad, so I was instantly like, I want to get booked for this job, it's going to be groundbreaking work and I want to be in it.
In terms of the role, I'm a black British actor, and so sometimes the world of Shakespeare kind of feels separate to me, I feel a bit excluded from the world of Shakespeare. So to work with a director who promotes diversity and inclusivity, it really made me feel like I could grasp onto Ophelia, keep parts of myself within it and not put up a front of the way that people perceive Ophelia to be. I could bring my own essence to the character and that really encouraged me to go for this role.
How do you mentally and physically prepare for a run in a show?
I think as an actor it's so important to be warmed up mentally, physically, vocally, because it is exhausting, you do long hours, and you want to put on your best performance each and every night. I would say for me personally, it's always about checking in with my body, where am I at, and where do I need to be, and then starting the journey from there.
I have previously worked with Ameera Conrad, so I was instantly like, I want to get booked for this job, it's going to be groundbreaking work and I want to be in it.
In terms of the role, I'm a black British actor, and so sometimes the world of Shakespeare kind of feels separate to me, I feel a bit excluded from the world of Shakespeare. So to work with a director who promotes diversity and inclusivity, it really made me feel like I could grasp onto Ophelia, keep parts of myself within it and not put up a front of the way that people perceive Ophelia to be. I could bring my own essence to the character and that really encouraged me to go for this role.
How do you mentally and physically prepare for a run in a show?
I think as an actor it's so important to be warmed up mentally, physically, vocally, because it is exhausting, you do long hours, and you want to put on your best performance each and every night. I would say for me personally, it's always about checking in with my body, where am I at, and where do I need to be, and then starting the journey from there.
 |
| The cast. Photo by Rebecca Oliver Photography. |
How have you approached making the character your own?
I'd say a key factor is just having my own voice. I'm a British girl from Birmingham, playing a character from Denmark, (she laughs) but I'm speaking in my own voice and I feel like that makes Ophelia feel very real to me.
The show also runs workshops and events whilst on tour, how important is the educational element of this piece?
So important. Funnily enough, before I even knew that acting was something that I wanted to do, I was introduced to the world of theatre through school. That's how I became an actor. It was never through extracurricular activities outside of school, it was always within school. And I remember organisations, like 20 Stories High, coming into my school and putting on a fantastic show. That to me was just so exciting, entertaining and so refreshing at such a young age to bring in a cultural element and an artistic element in the curriculum.
I think it's so important for us, because art is educational. It provides you with skills that are just as important as academic skills. It's important to have that emotional intelligence, that empathy for the characters, not only in theatre, but also in the world we live in.
Who the f–k is shakespeare? having workshops is brilliant because you not only get to engage with the theatre and be a part of it, you actually get to do the ‘what next’ part, which I think is really cool.
So important. Funnily enough, before I even knew that acting was something that I wanted to do, I was introduced to the world of theatre through school. That's how I became an actor. It was never through extracurricular activities outside of school, it was always within school. And I remember organisations, like 20 Stories High, coming into my school and putting on a fantastic show. That to me was just so exciting, entertaining and so refreshing at such a young age to bring in a cultural element and an artistic element in the curriculum.
I think it's so important for us, because art is educational. It provides you with skills that are just as important as academic skills. It's important to have that emotional intelligence, that empathy for the characters, not only in theatre, but also in the world we live in.
Who the f–k is shakespeare? having workshops is brilliant because you not only get to engage with the theatre and be a part of it, you actually get to do the ‘what next’ part, which I think is really cool.
What do you think Shakespeare would make of his impact on the world over 400 years on?
I've always wondered if Shakespeare knew that when he was writing his plays that they would be loved over 400 years later. I wonder if he'd be surprised and shocked that they would live on as long as they have. Or, if he would be like, yeah, I totally knew my work was going to be here in 2024!
I think Shakespeare would be pleasantly surprised to see how adaptable his plays are and that his core messages are still strong, regardless of gender, sex, race, age, they are so interchangeable, and I think he would find that quite amazing.
If you were able to ask Shakespeare one question, what would you want to ask him?
‘Shakespeare…Mr. Shakespeare. Why? Why are the men on stage playing women? Why not the actual women playing the women on stage?’
I've always wondered if Shakespeare knew that when he was writing his plays that they would be loved over 400 years later. I wonder if he'd be surprised and shocked that they would live on as long as they have. Or, if he would be like, yeah, I totally knew my work was going to be here in 2024!
I think Shakespeare would be pleasantly surprised to see how adaptable his plays are and that his core messages are still strong, regardless of gender, sex, race, age, they are so interchangeable, and I think he would find that quite amazing.
If you were able to ask Shakespeare one question, what would you want to ask him?
‘Shakespeare…Mr. Shakespeare. Why? Why are the men on stage playing women? Why not the actual women playing the women on stage?’
Definitely school, primary school times. In year five, they did a production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe…and I was Aslan, so I thought that was quite a big honour! (she laughs).
But since then, whenever we would do nativity shows, I was like, I want to be Mary, I want to be Jesus, I want to be…I want to be everything, I want to be every single character. I was just so excited by the idea of being on stage. I was in the choir and I was singing lead, I played violin as a kid. There was just always this feeling of ‘I want to be where the arts are.’
My school was very good for that, especially for children who don't have the access to that outside of school. Having that in school sparked that creativity for me.
What keeps you inspired?
I recently saw Hamilton for my birthday and it was exactly everything everyone's been talking about, It was insane. And I think I've always had a desire to see more theatre but it's just not always accessible to everybody. So recently I've just been trying to make more of an effort to see as many plays as I can or listen to soundtracks on Spotify. Just keep myself in the cultural environment of theatre and arts…bingeing some Netflix TV shows here and there as well!
I recently saw Hamilton for my birthday and it was exactly everything everyone's been talking about, It was insane. And I think I've always had a desire to see more theatre but it's just not always accessible to everybody. So recently I've just been trying to make more of an effort to see as many plays as I can or listen to soundtracks on Spotify. Just keep myself in the cultural environment of theatre and arts…bingeing some Netflix TV shows here and there as well!
What do you hope an audience member takes away from seeing the show?
Because this show is predominantly for younger viewers, I think you're at that age where you are trying really hard to fit in, trying very hard to understand who you are, and it feels like the most important thing in the world. I would just like to say to the audience, relax a little bit, you know? Life is already hard, don't make it harder on yourself. you'll figure things out along the way, and a lot of that does come with making mistakes. There are things in life that will hinder you, but always have hope, always trust in the goodness of your heart and goodness of people around you.
Because this show is predominantly for younger viewers, I think you're at that age where you are trying really hard to fit in, trying very hard to understand who you are, and it feels like the most important thing in the world. I would just like to say to the audience, relax a little bit, you know? Life is already hard, don't make it harder on yourself. you'll figure things out along the way, and a lot of that does come with making mistakes. There are things in life that will hinder you, but always have hope, always trust in the goodness of your heart and goodness of people around you.
You can catch who the f–k is shakespeare? on tour in September and October at Unity Theatre in Liverpool, Shakespeare North Playhouse in Prescot, Octagon Theatre in Bolton, Contact in Manchester, Storyhouse in Chester and Bernie Grant Arts Centre in London.
Tickets are available from https://www.20storieshigh.org.uk/show/wtfis-tour/
Post a Comment