Review: Table Top Shakespeare, Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse, Sheffield

As part of their Complete Works: Table Top Shakespeare project, Forced Entertainment is touring South Yorkshire to present eighteen condensed versions of Shakespeare plays. On the night I attended, Richard Lowdon presented Much Ado About Nothing, and Claire Marshall presented Richard III.

The set is a slightly splintery wooden trestle table, and the relevant play’s title is a hand written sign propped up by a water bottle. It is deliberately and delightfully low-tech. At either side of the table are plastic storage boxes where the actors – various ordinary household objects – wait to perform. The show starts when the presenter removes the sign and takes a seat.

The storytelling is absolutely captivating and immediately commands the audience’s full attention. Both presenters speak in calm measured tones as they relate the events of the play. They don’t try to do character voices, it is simply a narration with props, but it works perfectly.

There is never any confusion as to which object represents which character. With a verbal reminder, a touch, or a gesture, the presenters ensure the audience is fully engaged, a remarkable achievement with so many characters. There is a stillness and intimacy about each performance that is totally engrossing and draws the audience in. The lighting is low, but not dark, allowing the presenters to make eye contact with audience members as they tell their tale, adding to the connection and engagement. The compact Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse, with seating on two sides, is the perfect space.

The objects have been selected carefully. In Much Ado, the elegant members of Leonato’s household are bottles of alcohol. Lowdon introduces each one as the play progresses and completely captures all the nuances of Shakespeare’s story. As Hero, played by an innocent bottle of Johnson’s Baby Oil, and Claudio, a bottle of Hoegaaden beer, fall in love at first sight, Lowden pauses, looking from one to the other to create a convincing intimate moment. The audience is fully invested as we wait for the can of Pedigree ale and the sachet of frozen WooWoo playing Benedick and Beatrice to eventually admit their feelings for each other.

The evil, tall, black, unlabelled bottle playing Don John is a taciturn, villainous presence. The comic relief characters of Dogberry, Verges, and the watchmen are amusingly played by balls of string and toilet roll inner tubes to differentiate them from the gentry. Characters in disguise are presented upside down or facing the other way, which is a nice touch. If an object falls over, this is calmly integrated into the plot – they staggered on or tripped as they entered.

In Richard III, the objects are mainly DIY items. Richard is a black plastic pot, Buckingham a bottle of methylated spirits. It’s a more difficult task for Marshall, as this method of storytelling lends itself more readily to comedy, but she still conveys all of Richard’s charisma and paranoia. The scene where all the murdered objects return to haunt Richard’s dreams is strangely powerful.

This is a fascinating and unique method of retelling Shakespeare’s stories. The imagination to decide which objects to use is impressive, and the minimalist way they are presented works perfectly. It’s pleasing to see that the Sheffield run is sold out, showing that there is a healthy appetite here for Shakespeare’s beloved stories. And this is a hugely entertaining method of telling them, which will appeal to aficionados and newcomers alike.

Conceived and devised by Forced Entertainment

Directed by Tim Etchells

Text by Robin Arthur, Tim Etchells, Jerry Killick, Richard Lowdon, Claire Marshall, Cathy Naden and Terry O’Connor

Designed by Richard Lowdon

Sound and Lighting Design by Jim Harrison

Production Management by Jim Harrison

Complete Works:Table Top Shakespeare has completed its run at the Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse, but continues to tour South Yorkshire until Saturday 28 November.