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Shakespeare North celebrates Bard anniversary with two special shows in 2023


Shakespeare North Playhouse will celebrate the 400th anniversary of the publication of the Bard’s First Folio with a pair of new productions.

The Prescot venue, which opened its doors this summer, has revealed the first shows in its 2023 season.

They are a new adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors, produced in conjunction with the Stephen Joseph Theatre at Scarborough, and the European premiere of Lauren Gunderson’s The Book of Will in a co-production with the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch and Bolton Octagon.

The Comedy of Errors (More or Less) comes from playwrights Elizabeth Godber and Nick Lane.

It’s the 1980s and an actor from Lancashire arrives in a Yorkshire coastal town to perform his ‘magnificent’ one-man show. The trouble is there’s no audience – everyone has booked for a talent show across town starring the twin brother he’s never met.

The play runs from March 3-25.

Meanwhile in The Book of Will, the King’s Men are getting the band back together. Their goal? To gather the Bard’s scattered masterpieces and save his words before they’re lost to history.

The quest sets them on a wild race against time through London.

The Book of Will is at Shakespeare North Playhouse from October 19 to November 11.

Above: The Comedy of Errors (More or Less). Top: The cockpit theatre at Shakespeare North Playhouse.


The First Folio was published posthumously in 1623 and drew together 36 Shakespeare plays, 18 of which were printed for the first time.

Shakespeare North Playhouse creative director Laura Collier said: “In July 2022 we opened our doors to the public, welcoming thousands of people to Shakespeare North Playhouse. Our first six months have been filled with joy, learning and community that all those involved in the artistic programme are so grateful for.

“Now we look ahead to 2023, a year that we’ll celebrate the 400th anniversary of the First Folio of Shakespeare’s work.

“The producers which we have chosen to work alongside to mark the anniversary are exemplary. I have no doubt the way in which these titles, both well-known and new, will be reimagined.

“They will entertain and inspire audiences across the country as we continue to celebrate an array of unique and diverse voices.”

Tickets go on sale in December. For more details on the productions and to book, visit the website HERE

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