A newly created 'Shakespeare' play comes to light

I, Peaseblossom by William Shakespeare
Musgrove Studio – Maidment Theatre
December 8 – 12

Shakespeare’s least known fairy, I Peaseblossom, will be performed next month in Auckland as part of Shakespeare Lives, a global programme commemorating the death of the world’s most celebrated author.

I, Peaseblossom is the story of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream told through the fevered dreams of a neglected fairy. It is a funny, interactive and sometimes anarchic piece of theatre that excels in establishing a relationship between the audience and the performer.

Award-winning UK actor and playwright Tim Crouch, in partnership with the British Council, will showcase his irreverent and modern take on Shakespeare through the eyes of this cheeky fairy.

Tim Crouch is a celebrated master of Shakespearean theatre, who has devised a series of plays based on minor Shakespearian characters – in a bid to bring new audiences to appreciate the timeless power and relevance of the Bard.

“We have been chasing Tim across the globe to come to New Zealand ever since he performed the outrageously entertaining I Peaseblossom in Singapore some five years ago, so we are thrilled to finally have him here,” said British Council country director Ingrid Leary.

“Tim is a brilliant writer and performer, who cleverly manages to capture the imaginations of children and adults alike in this work, which is a rare feat.”

The British Council, with the University of Auckland, will also be hosting a Tim Crouch workshop on technique and symbolism in Shakespeare providing opportunities for literature students, theatre practitioners and interested fans to learn from one of the best.

Other projects in the Shakespeare Lives programme include a global touring programme in association with the British Film Institute, the largest ever organised by the British Council, of 20 great interpretations of Shakespeare's works for the cinema from the BFI National Archive, including Silent Shakespeare, Laurence Olivier’s Hamlet (1948), Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet (1968) and Richard Loncraine‎'s Richard III (1995) starring Ian McKellen, who is also spearheading the BFI’s Shakespeare on Film season starting in April.

As well, the National Theatre Live Shakespeare films will also be made available globally alongside screenings of historically-acclaimed and ground-breaking contemporary Shakespeare productions, including the international premiere of the film of Manchester Royal Exchange Theatre’s Hamlet starring Maxine Peake.

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