Propeller has brought Shakespeare kicking and screaming into the 21st Century. — Metro

The internationally acclaimed all-male Propeller Theatre Company comes from England to Boston for the first time in ambitious rotating repertory. Dynamic physicality, imaginative theatricality, and a modern flair shine in their productions.

In Richard III, Shakespeare's most villainous king embarks on a fiendishly entertaining and diabolical adventure to scheme and murder his way to the throne. Set in a gothic Victorian hospital and featuring evocative, bloody imagery in the style of Grand Guignol.

Set south of the border, The Comedy of Errors tells the story of two sets of identical twins that were separated at birth and reunite 25 years later with hilarious consequences. Mistaken identities, assumed personas, slapstick physical comedy, and a mariachi band make for a fun-filled family experience.

Video

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  • THE COMEDY OF ERRORS Trailer

    Experience Shakespeare as never before when the internationally acclaimed Propeller Theatre Company leaps from England onto a Boston stage for the first time.

    Watch

  • RICHARD III Trailer

    Experience Shakespeare as never before when the internationally acclaimed Propeller Theatre Company leaps from England onto a Boston stage for the first time.

    Watch

  • RICHARD III Audio Slideshow

    Enjoy an audio slideshow, featuring original music and production photographs from the Propeller Theatre Company production of RICHARD III at the Huntington, presented in association with the Boston University School of Theatre.

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Photos

Articles

  • Adapting Richard III & The Comedy of Errors

    Any production of Shakespeare is only as good as its adaptation. Shakespeare plays are rarely performed in their entirety, and for Propeller productions, director Edward Hall works with co-adaptor Roger Warren to approach the plays with a sophisticated historical and literary perspective.

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  • Seeing Shakespeare Again For The First Time

    For the international tour that brings them to the Huntington, Propeller will be doing two works — Richard III and The Comedy of Errors — on alternating nights with the same cast of fourteen actors. The actor who plays Lady Anne in Richard III one night may play Dromio in The Comedy of Errors the next. A set used for a bloody battle transforms into a scene for frolicking. The actors, many of whom are multi-talented musicians, underscore the action throughout both plays.

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  • Winds of Change

    It was in 1997 that Propeller came into being. Back then I was putting on a production of Henry V with Jill Fraser at the Watermill Theatre in Newbury. The idea was simple: follow certain classical traditions such as using an all male cast, use as much live music and sound generated by the actors as possible and employ an aesthetic that meant something directly to all of us — then it was the modern British Army.

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Press Reviews

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  • The Comedy of Errors

      "THE BAWDIEST, SMARTEST, FUNNIEST, most outrageously alive Shakespeare in ages." — New York Post
      "AN UNMITIGATED HOOT! Riotously sexy and testosterone-charged." — Daily Telegraph
      "BLISSFULLY ENTERTAINING! The funniest and most farcical I've seen." —The Guardian
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  • Richard III

      "PROPELLER TRIUMPHS AGAIN!" Beg, borrow, or steal a ticket." — Farnham Herald
      "TRULY MESMERIZING. THE MOST THRILLING production you are likely ever to see." — British Theatre Guide
      "★★★★★! There are too many insightful details crammed into this tour-de-force to do sufficient justice in this review "— Daily Telegraph
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    Features

    • Yes it's the Bard, and it's in your face

      From The Boston Globe, May 15, 2011: "Edward Hall, the founder and artistic director of England's Shakespeare-focused Propeller Theatre Company was on the phone from London, talking about his company's particular brand of modern classic — and the need to shrug off the considerable baggage that accumulates around a play when it's been staged for 400 years. . . . "

    • "On a wing and a prayer"

      From The Herald, February 22, 2011: "When a bunch of guys hang out together without any female influence to soften them up, a gang mentality inevitably develops..."

    Artists

    • Tony BellPinch / Queen Margaret
    • Kelsey BrookfieldCourtesan / Lord Rivers, Duchess of York
    • Dugald Bruce-LockhartAntipholus of Syracuse / Sir Richard Ratcliffe
    • Wayne CaterBalthasar / Bishop of Ely
    • Richard ClothierThe Duke of Ephesus / King Richard III
    • John DougallAegeon / George Duke of Clarence, Lord Stanley
    • Richard FrameDromio of Syracuse / Murderer, Richard Duke of York
    • Robert HandsAdriana / King Edward IV, Earl of Richmond
    • Chris MylesAemilia / Duke of Buckingham
    • David NewmanLuciana / Sir William Catesby
    • Thomas PaddenAngelo / Lord Hastings, Duke of Norfolk
    • Sam SwainsburyAntipholus of Ephesus / Murderer, Edward Prince of Wales
    • Dominic TigheOfficer / Queen Elizabeth
    • Jon TrenchardDromio of Ephesus / Lady Anne; Additional Arrangements and Original Music
    • Edward HallDirector
    • Michael PavelkaCostume and Production Designer
    • Ben OrmerodLighting Designer
    • David GregoryComposer and Sound Designer


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