Shakespeare’s Fool
(in support of Willoughby Memorial Trust Gallery, Corby Glen)
Sunday 21st January 2024, 7pm
Irnham Hall, NG33 4JD
Tickets £13
Shakespeare’s Fool is a captivating one-actor show that tells the story of Elizabethan superstar, Will Kempe, and sheds light on his part in Shakespeare’s success.
Will ‘Cavaliero’ Kempe was one of the finest performers of the Elizabethan age. Gentleman player, juggling jester, headmaster of Morris dancers and London’s finest clown, until… he fell out with Will ‘git face’ Shakespeare.
Kempe died alone and poverty stricken, not very far from the original Globe Theatre, of which he was an original shareholder and faded into obscurity. A world away from his former life having supposedly originated some of literature’s best-known characters, including Bottom, Dogberry, and Falstaff.
Join Cavaliero Kempe as he gives his final performance to an audience of a mouse and a marrote, and tells us what really happened between him and William Shakespeare. A bittersweet tale, told by an idiot.
The show has been an instant hit with audiences of all ages. It has been staged in every space imaginable, from 800 seater theatres to outdoors in a Scottish ruin, and has very few technical requirements.
It has had two successful runs at the Edinburgh Fringe and has been a part of two International Shakespeare Festivals with sell-out shows across the UK at major UK venues and rural touring schemes.
We’re a friendly team with a high quality show and a ‘can-do’ attitude. The show is comedic, heartfelt and high energy guaranteeing there will be something for everyone to enjoy.
Trailer: https://youtu.be/L2P9doLEJuk