Since 2013, The HandleBards have charmed audiences across the UK and beyond with their unique brand of fast-paced, eco-conscious Shakespeare — cycling from venue to venue with props and costumes in tow. Now, the acclaimed troupe have joining forces with Shakespeare North Playhouse for the very first time to bring their signature energy indoors with The Tempest.
We caught up with the team to find out how this exciting collaboration came about, how sustainability is woven into every branch (quite literally) of the production, and what audiences can expect from this “joyfully silly” take on Shakespeare’s stormy classic.
This is the first collaboration between the HandleBards and Shakespeare North Playhouse – how did it come about, and what excites you most about it?
The relationship with Shakespeare North started with us bringing Romeo and Juliet to the Sir Ken Performance Garden back in 2021, since then we’ve returned each year as a visiting company performing inside and out, including Much Ado About Nothing (2023) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2024) in the Cockpit Theatre. In 2024 Shakespeare North approached us about working together on a new co-production, and we settled on The Tempest!
Every time we’ve visited Shakespeare North they’ve always been hugely welcoming and supportive, and it’s a gorgeous theatre to boot. So – the most exciting aspect of the collaboration is the opportunity to make our first mid-scale production with the support of everyone at Shakespeare North, working with HandleBards stalwarts and some brilliant new collaborators, and working with a team who are all as excited as we are about making a joyful and glorious sustainable indoor production.
You’re renowned for your eco-friendly ethos, cycling to your productions across the UK. How does sustainability play a role in this staging of The Tempest?
We’ve been using the Theatre Green Book from the ground-up to design the show to be as sustainable as possible, and to track the environmental impact of the production. We’ve focused on hiring and re-using costume and set, and our brilliant creative and production team have created a forest canopy using real branches from a local tree-surgeon. We’ll be storing and re-using everything we can from the production, and plan to tour The Tempest in the future using electric vehicles.
You’ve been praised for being “chaotic, clever and charming.” What can audiences expect when they walk into the Cockpit Theatre for this show?
Without spoiling too much, they can expect the usual chaos and fun of a HandleBards show, but with a few extras that you can’t find outdoors…
Since your beginnings in 2013, the HandleBards have toured internationally. How has the company evolved over the years, and what’s stayed the same?
The core of The HandleBards has always been touring sustainable, joyful and accessible Shakespeare. Each year we’ve grown a little bigger, and have gone on to tour around the world, have become a registered charity and are now creating our first mid-scale show. Who knows where we’ll be in the next 10 years, but we’ll almost certainly still be taking things not too seriously.
If you had to describe this production of The Tempest in just three words, what would they be?
Joyfully silly magic.
The HandleBard’s The Tempest runs at Shakespeare North Playhouse until Saturday 25 October. Tickets are available via shakespearenorthplayhouse.co.uk/event/the-tempest.