Theatre and Dance

A man is arrested for being an illegal immigrant and is given one day to raise some money or he will be killed...So far, this would seem to be a very topical drama for our times but the name of the play gives the game away. This is A Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare and it all goes to show that farce was alive and kicking long before Fawlty Towers.

Farcical and fun @ the Alhambra!

A Comedy of Errors is all to do with mistaken identity because, after various mix ups, two pairs of twins called Antipholus and Dromio (yes, there are two of each) end up at the same place at the same time. Brothers, sisters, masters and servants are baffled and bewildered and it all takes place in just one day. But that's Shakespeare for you!

This particular production of the Comedy was something of a hit when it opened in Shakespeare's home town of Stratford-upon-Avon in 2005. Director Nancy Meckler says she's thrilled the play is now touring: "When the original production opened in Stratford I was delighted to find it appealed to all ages. As well as enjoying the humour and spectacle of the show, people also found it very moving...I'm really pleased it is going to have another life and reach more people."

Both brothers are thrilled to be working for the Royal Shakespeare Company for the first time and to be working together. Simon says: "Hopefully as real brothers we'll have a massive headstart. We've grown up together so we know how brothers think so we can use that in the roles. There's a similarity in the way we look, and definitely in the timbre [character and quality] of our voices."

And both brothers are great fans of the man himself. Simon believes Shakespeare's words are both boundless and timeless: "For me it's not so much about the stories - it's about the people, the characters. You see all of humanity in his plays."

Siobhan Redmond: Smoking Room to farce!

Jason is pretty sure West Yorkshire theatregoers will enjoy the show: "His work has so much to offer. It opens your mind, it's beautiful and you re-evaluate him each time you see his plays. He's continually interesting...Academics pore over Shakespeare but we shouldn't forget that, as well as being a great poet, he was primarily in the business of creating popular, fast turnover theatre."

Also starring in The Comedy of Errors is well-known TV actor Siobhan Redmond whose most recent TV appearances include EastEnders, Holby City and the Smoking Room!

The Comedy of Errors is at Bradford's Alhambra Theatre from Tuesday October 30th to Saturday November 3rd 2007.