Sweet William

Devised and performed by Michael Pennington

Michael Pennington presents a highly original one-man Shakespeare show. It weaves together many aspects of Shakespeare’s life and work. Pennington also performs some of the great and lesser known speeches and reflects on his long and international experiences as a director and leading actor.

Press comments from the Chester Literature Festival:

“Sweet William was one of the highlights of the 2006 Festival. It was not only exquisitely performed, but also offered illuminating insights into Shakespeare’s life and themes.

Pennington’s huge experience of performing and directing Shakespeare is distilled in Sweet William. The result is a two-hour tour-de-force, delivered with the apparent effortlessness which only a great actor could create.”

Press comments from The Winchester Festival:

“Fascinating and informative… A masterclass on our master playwright.”

Performance Schedule:

Venue/Date

Gateway Theatre, Chester 22^nd October 2006

Theatre Royal, Winchester 26^th November 2006

Layard Theatre, Canford School, Dorset 19^th January 2007

Westacre River Studios, Kings Lynn 10^th February 2007

Theatr Clwyd, Mold 3^rd-7^th April 2007

Cottesloe, National Theatre 11^th May 2007

Swindon Arts Centre 23^rd May 2007

Old Town Hall, Hemel 26^th May 2007

Lochside Theatre, Castle Douglas 2^nd June 2007

Ridware Theatre, Pipe Ridware, Staffordshire 9^th June 2007

Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford 14-16^th June 2007

Broxbourne Civic Hall 20^th June 2007

Ludlow Festival 23^rd June 2007

Yvonne Arnaud Theatre 28-30^th June 2007

Little Angel Theatre, Islington 21^st-26^th August 2007

Ripon International Festival – Arts Hall, Ripon 9^th September 2007

Beadales School 29^th September 2007

Number 8 Community Arts Centre, Pershore 6^th October 2007

Minerva Theatre, Chichester 11^th- 13^th October 2007

Arcola Theatre, Hackney 19^th November – 8^th December 2007

Uppingham School Theatre Uppingham 30^th November 2007

Guthrie Theatre, Minneapolis 11^th-22^nd December 2007

Trafalgar Studios, London 4^th-16^th February 2008

Rose of Kingston 17^th February 2008

The Tobacco Factory, Southville, Bristol 4^th May 2008

The International Shakespeare Theatre Festival,

Bucharest 12^th-13^th May 2008

The Stratford-upon-Avon Poetry Festival 29^th June 2008

01789 292176 (from 20^th May)

The Colorado Festival of World Theatre,

Colorado Springs 4^th-9^th Spetember 2008

http://www.cfwt.org

Manchester Library Theatre 28^th September 2008

0161 236 7110

http://www.librarytheatre.com

Hampstead Theatre, London 24^th-29^th November 2008

http://www.hampsteadtheatre.com

Upstairs@ Chicago Shakespeare Theater 3^rd-22^nd February 2009

http://www.chicagoshakes.com

All of the dates are, of course, subject to other commitments and you should always check with the venue!

A note for your diaries! Sometime in September Nick Hern Books will be publishing a new book by Michael. Entitled Sweet William – Twenty Thousand Hours with Shakespeare, it has, as you would expect from the title, been written in conjunction with Michael’s one- man show.

Click here to read an Interview which appeared in the Chester Chronicle on the 20th October 2006.

Click here to read the programme notes which accompany the performance.

Click here to read the Interview which appeared on the Rogues and Vagabonds (http://www.roguesandvagabonds.co.uk) web site

The Bard and me. The Independent, 21^st August 2007

Pennington’s love letter to Shakespeare, his best friend, Camden New Journal, 16^th August 2007.

Reviews

Return to Stage

Return to Home Page