Being Shakespeare - Trafalgar Studios

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The Trafalgar Studios has been the home to a great deal of shows over the years that have earned great acclaim and featured some stand-out acts. This tradition continues in 2011 with the arrival of the renowned actor Simon Callow, who brings his one-man show “Being Shakespeare” to the West End venue in June and casts a spotlight on the Bard and the abundance of shows that emerged from his pen. With the capital enjoying great success with Shakespeare’s work currently – including two production of “Much Ado About Nothing” and the upcoming “The Tempest” – it could not be arriving at a more perfect time.

Callow has appeared both onstage and onscreen in an abundance of roles over the years in an illustrious career. Of course many of these roles have included the work of Shakespeare  - such as “Twelfth Night” at The National Theatre this year – as well as “Waiting for Godot” at the Haymarket Theatre in 2009, “Marigold/Mr Chops” at the Riverside Studios in 2009 and “Equus” at the Chichester Festival Theatre in 2008. On the screen his credits include “Shakespeare in Love”, “Four Weddings and a Funeral”, “No Ordinary Trifle”, plus television programmes like “Doctor Who”.

And with his experience of working in the world of Shakespeare he is well versed in his back catalogue, which makes it apt that he is tackling the subject of the Bard at the Trafalgar Studios. Not only will he be taking to the stage in the guise of many of Shakespeare’s most famous characters, he will also be attempting to look at the man himself, whose pen produced some of the best known works in the English Language. It is also the first time the show has been seen in the West End, following its original appearances in locations like the Richmond Theatre in 2010 when it went by the name “Shakespeare – the Man from Stratford”.

The production has been written by Jonathan Bate and will be directed by Tom Cairns, the latter of whom has been behind the likes of “Phaedra” at the Donmar Warehouse, “All About my Mother” at the Old Vic Theatre and productions – like “The Music Teacher” - on Broadway as well.