After Shakespeare is a gripping and unique reimagining of what happens after the curtain has fallen on some of the Bard’s most iconic characters. Each character is effortlessly brought to life by the incredibly talented Lexi Wolfe, who flawlessly commands the stage as the solo performer while transporting the audience back in time to the heart of these iconic stories.
As a qualified English teacher, I think it is basically a prerequisite of the job that any English teacher must be a massive fan of William Shakespeare — and we absolutely do nothing to dispel this stereotype! You can read about this in our review of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which you can find here, as we are indeed huge fans of potentially the world’s most famous playwright! This is why I was particularly excited to see the listing for After Shakespeare, which imagines what certain key characters from some of Shakespeare’s most recognisable plays would be doing after their respective stories had taken place. Presented by disabled and neurodivergent-led company Slade Wolfe Enterprises, the team had clearly thoroughly researched not only the source material but also creatively considered how the selected characters would interact with the world after the marriages, killings and other events had occurred. By carefully considering the way in which we are familiar with these iconic characters, the production allows for an accurate yet unique interpretation. This makes sense to those who are familiar with some of the most well-known stories, while also remaining easy to follow for those who have not read or seen them before.
What is particularly clever about this production is the fact that it has actually begun before the audience have even entered the space, with Lexi sat rather ominously perched on the stage as everyone enters the Annex at theSpace @ Symposium Hall. Being introduced to the show via an intense yet approachable bar regular is a very interesting way to open the production, as the crowd are instantly pulled into the world being created. It also adds the perfect amount of immersive theatre to the show. This is developed throughout the production as these characters are revived through a series of powerful monologues shared directly with the audience, with Lexi often breaking the fourth wall to address certain audience moments, again adding to the immersiveness of the production itself. Through a series of major costume changes, Lexi is able to transform herself from the villainous Lady Macbeth to the fantastic Portia, the titular Hamlet and even King Hal. At each point, Lexi heads behind the on-stage screen to morph into the next character, providing clear and coherent shifts between the different scenes. This allows the audience to easily follow along with the changes in settings and locations, while also clearly recognising the change of character. Apart from the costume changes, however, the show itself is fairly stripped back in terms of theatrics, with limited staging and props. This encourages the audience to purely focus on the wonderful performance taking place on stage. As the story moves between different locations and timeframes four times throughout the show, this stripped-back approach allows the audience to easily track everything that is taking place, instead of taking them out of each scene with prolonged scene changes. This makes the entire sixty-minute show move rapidly and smoothly, making for a very enjoyable viewing experience.
In conclusion, After Shakespeare by Slade Wolfe Enterprises Ltd, starring Lexi Wolfe, is a creative and powerful one-person production that explores the lives of some of William Shakespeare’s most iconic characters after their original stories have ended. Lexi is able to effortlessly transform into a range of contrasting characters in such a way that maintains the audience’s focus throughout, with short transition sequences helping everyone follow along. I would obviously recommend this show to Shakespeare fanatics like myself, but those who are not as familiar with the Bard will also easily be able to understand everything that is going on. I would rate this show 4 out of 5 stars!
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