Shakespeare on Trial

Original Production

Directed by Martha Irving

Stage Manager Sylvia Bell

Lighting by Jessica Lewis

Sound creation by Sylvia Bell

There is no doubt that the success of Shakespeare On Trial is down to the people that put in countless hours working on the show. The original team of Sylvia Bell, Jessica Lewis and Martha Irving, along with Simon Henderson created a crazy ride for the audience. Many others popped on and off the rollercoaster over the years and all contributed so much. The show has not been performed live since 2016 and is undergoing some rewrites and updates for the 2020’s.

Thanks also to the newer cast & crew of Jeff Shwager, Dave Rossetti and Kate Redding who took over in 2015, 6 years after the show was originally created.

Shakespeare

Four of Shakespeare’s characters put him on trial, accusing the playwright of being boring. Jeremy Webb lets the audience decide in Shakespeare On Trial.

From top to bottom - Jeff Schwager & Dave Rossetti

In the fast-paced 85-minute production, packed with Webb’s patented comedy shtick, William Shakespeare is put on trial by four of his own characters and accused of writing boring plays that are no longer relevant to modern audiences.

"Shakespeare has to defend himself in court and the audience is the jury," says Webb, who wrote the show and plays Shakespeare’s accusers. "He has to convince the audience his works can be entertaining, relevant and fun if performed with passion and gusto."

In Shakespeare on Trial, iconic characters like Juliet, Macbeth, Hamlet and Iago have become bored of their roles.

"Iago quits; he’s fed up with being the bad guy and he leaves to join a circus school to become a clown. Hamlet isn’t aware that everyone else has left until he gets to the end of the "To be, or not to be" speech and Ophelia isn’t there. He gets stuck like a record.

"Macbeth is just plain nuts. He plays like Mel Gibson with a bad Scottish accent and every OTT Shakespearean habit."

Webb says Shakespeare, who lived from 1564 to 1616, was a playboy who would be paparazzi fodder today.

"At the starting point of the play, he’s a bit of a pompous idiot, who doesn’t believe people don’t know who he is."

Shakespeare gives a master class in how to perform his plays with energy following the clues he’s left in the text, paying attention to the punctuation and words to make it accessible.

on trial

Shakespeare On Trial has played most professional theatre venues in Nova Scotia, getting booked by theatre producers to be part of their seasons. Due to its popularity and its easy touring ability, SOT is a great addition to a theatre season.

The play is quick to assemble (four hours) and travels light in just one van and a trailer.

Soon after the play premiered at the 2009 High School Drama Festival (run by Theatre NS), Shakespeare On Trial started getting bookings further afield: New Brunswick, Cape Breton, Ontario and then in 2011, the USA.

On Tour

In 2010, Shakespeare On Trial was presented at The Tarragon Theatre in Toronto, showcasing to teachers and School Board officials. This trip, funded by NS Communities Culture & Heritage, Industry Development Grant, resulted in a tour of Ontario schools in Spring 2010 and a booking at a Summer Theatre in Bala, ON.

Shakespeare On Trial showcased successfully at the 2010 Contact East event, organized by the Atlantic Presenter’s Association. After their twenty minute performance, giving just selected scenes from the play, Jeremy Webb and Simon Henderson were greeted by a line-up of bookers from North Carolina and Georgia, wanting to bring the play down to the Southern states.

The tour turned in to a five week, 30-performance US tour and was a huge success. Shakespeare On Trial played two more tours of Southern states and the showcase at the ARTSMARKET 2013 in Durham, NC. Shakespeare On Trial proved extremely popular with the US audiences.

In 2012, Shakespeare On Trial was featured as a guest ‘act’ on APTN’s The Candy Show, presenting a seven minute segment of the show.

SOT is one of the longest continually running shows to come out of Nova Scotia. After a number of years the show was recast, featuring Dave Rossetti (as The Characters) and Jeff Schwager (as Bill.)