WHAT
The Year Long Shakespeare Project will launch the Shakespeare North Playhouse in its inaugural year. It is a gift to Knowsley, Liverpool and the Merseyside area and its communities. Shakespeare’s plays have never been performed onstage by a single company of actors in one year, a different play every week, until now. This record-breaking venture will drive engagement with the venue from local audiences and incentivise tourism to the region. The Project will adapt 400-year old rehearsal practice in order to raise full productions in just 5 days.
WHERE
The Shakespeare North Playhouse, opening 2022, in the borough of Prescot & Knowsley, municipality of Liverpool, UK
WHY
This project will allow the Shakespeare North Playhouse to be the first theatre to stage each of Shakespeare’s plays in a year. This extraordinary feat will plant the new venue firmly on the cultural map and on history.
WHO
Ben Crystal is an actor, award-nominated author, and ambassador of innovative Shakespeare rehearsal and production. As a creative producer, he has collaborated with Shakespeare’s Globe, the BBC, the British Library, and the Prince’s Trust Institute, among others. As an educator, he is a TEDx speaker, giving talks around the world. His books have twice been shortlisted for the Educational Writer of the Year Award. Ben is joined by a team of leading creatives with a diverse range of skillsets