Without William Shakespeare, we wouldn’t have plays like Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, King Lear, Twelfth Night, Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the Shrew, Richard III … the list goes on.

But without Henry Condell and John Heminges we would have lost half of Shakespeare’s plays forever! After the death of their friend, mentor and fellow-actor, they are determined to gather together as many of Will Shakespeare’s plays as they can, and to preserve the words that had been written for them and which had helped to shape their lives.

They’ll just have to beg, borrow, persuade and band together to get it done!

Amidst the noise and colour of Elizabethan London, The Book of Will tells an unforgettable true story of love, loss, friendship and laughter, and sheds new light on Shakespeare’s world, and on the man you may think you know …

Peopled with lively, historically-based characters, this warm-hearted comedy paints a vivid picture of Shakespeare’s time, of the world of the theatre, and what it means to be an actor.

It is a homage to those who sacrificed so much to make the First Folio happen, and save Shakespeare’s words and immortal characters for the world.

Performed at De Crypt, Gloucester, 15th-19th October 2024.