Understudy No.5
- 7 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Understudy No. 5. Written and performed by Hadrian Conyngham. Directed by Warren Rusher. A 50-minute monologue at The Old Red Lion pub, 418 St John Street, Islington, London EC1V 4NJ at 5pm on 30 August. Part of ShakeFest.
Preview
Understudy No. 5 is a work of new poetry and prose, following a theatrical janitor as he discovers that the abandoned props and costumes are filled with the spirits of minor Shakespearean characters unhappy with their lot.
The work is an exploration of language, character and their intersections. Using a variety of heightened poetic styles (including iambic pentameter and tetrameter, free verse, and dactylic trimeter), it's the kind of show that appeals to Shakespeare nerds, philosophers, or anyone who likes a bit of clowning and depression combined.
It’s five o’clock and rehearsal is over for the day. A silent janitor alone on stage discovers that within the abandoned props and costumes lie the spirits of Shakespearean characters unhappy with their lot in the original plays. Through him, they say all the things they couldn’t say before, leading the janitor to ever so briefly discover his own voice.
Two countrymen side by side
On the wide shore
the wide deserted shore
the wide deserted
the wide desert
On the desert of white bones and sand
Understudy No. 5 is a monologue cycle of possession and inversion. This Work in Progress showing takes you through four distinct Shakespearean stories rendered intimately unfamiliar, using various poetic forms to explore verse and character.
Not one half-turn before the son’s ascent
Our constellation pitches and revolts,
And dawn comes not, and light comes not, and all
The manners of the world are swathed in ash.
Running for just 50 minutes, this monologue cycle uncovers several stories that could have taken place behind the scenes of the productions we know all too well.
Since opening in 1979 the Old Red Lion has become an intimate and unique theatre above a lively pub. It has become one of the most popular and beloved Off-West End venues in London. The Old Red Lion is hosting ShakeFest as part of Camden Fringe – a festival celebrating the life and works of William Shakespeare.
Understudy No. 5 is written and performed by Hadrian Conyngham, directed by Warren Rusher. Sunday 30 August at 5pm. Tickets are £6.50 available from: : https://weareoldred.co.uk/whats-on/shakefest-2026/understudy-no-5/
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