East Sussex theatre company poses the question: "Why Will?"

Bowler Crab are back in the open air this summer at Half House Farm to present Why Will?
Stephen John pic by David MontgomeryStephen John pic by David Montgomery
Stephen John pic by David Montgomery

Performances start on Friday, June 25 at 7.30pm and run until Saturday, August 7.

Artistic director Stephen John said: “We are so looking forward to welcoming our audience back to Half House Farm, Three Oaks this summer. It has been so empty without you all! After over a year away from the stage, almost two years since a Half House performance and several cancelled projects in 2020, BC finally return. This summer we are bringing you a BC production like no other titled Why Will?”

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Performed outdoors at the 16th-century Half House Farm in Three Oaks (situated between Rye and Hastings), Bowler Crab explores Shakespeare’s most famous speeches.

Stephen answers 20 questions, the most prominent being Why Will? In an effort to answer why BC are a Shakespeare only company, Stephen presents his case to 20 socially-distanced circles with 20 speeches from his eight years of running his theatre company. Presented in two one-hour acts, Stephen performs as characters from Shakespeare’s finest works: from Hamlet to Benedick, to Romeo to Bottom, to Caesar to Jaques.

Tragedy and comedy lace the performance as Stephen fights, feasts, frights, fakes and falls about laughing in every effort to share his passion for Shakespeare.

“We still don’t know what restrictions will be in place for certain this summer but we aren’t socially distancing because we have to. We’re socially distancing because we want to; we want all our playgoers to feel safe and so a new auditorium layout will be used at Half House Farm. You will be booking a ticket for a circular space rather than the usual per person system."

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“Hay bales will be provided in the circles but your own lawn furniture or picnic blankets are also welcomed. Small circles seating up to two have a two-metre diameter; large circles seating up to four have a three-metre diameter; all circles are 1.5 metres distance away from their neighbours. Limited attendance is guaranteed for further reassurance of safety and as such we urge you to book in advance to avoid disappointment. We will not be running a bar or selling refreshments during the interval, but you are welcome to bring food and drink/picnics; safe toilet facilities will be available.”

To book spaces for Why Will go to www.bowler-crab.com or phone the box office on 07801 893115.

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