Tower Theatre Company : Baba Shakespeare

This year we will be devising a new production as part of the high profile RSC Open Stages project. Baba Shakespeare is an adaption of the iconic 1965 Merchant Ivory film Shakespeare Wallah, and is based on the true-life story of the family of actress Felicity Kendal, whose troupe of Shakespeare players toured post-colonial India.

Director Emmeline Winterbotham has special permission from the writer and director of Shakespeare Wallah, Ruth Jhabvala and James Ivory, to adapt the screenplay. Her new version, Baba Shakespeare, follows the adventures of a troupe of British travelling players in early 1960s India, as they travel from desert palace to hill station, adapting their rich fare of Shakespeare (including Hamlet, Othello and Romeo and Juliet) to a wide range of audiences, circumstances and ever more slender means. Their story is interwoven by the colour and spectacle of music and dance from the film set of a modern-day Bollywood musical.

We'll be developing the script through a series of workshops and looking for performers and a creative team with new skills to complement those we already have. We're particularly keen to talk to people with skills in Indian dance, music and puppetry.

Artistic Director Martin South says : "This will be a production with great appeal to contemporary audiences as well as having Shakespeare at its heart".

The Tower Theatre Company will stage Baba Shakespeare in the Arcola Tent for two weeks in the spring, with the possibility of further performances later in the year.

In line with the RSC's own creative philosophy, participants in Open Stages are encouraged to "rise to a new challenge by using their production to show a) ambition of overall idea, b) a spirit of inquiry (by learning new skills), c) collaboration through new partnerships and d) engagement with a new art form e.g. music, dance and the visual arts". Obviously we are keen to respond as imaginatively as we can, both in order to maximise our chances for Stratford and in the spirit of a wider celebration of the Tower. To these ends Baba Shakespeare will explore

New Skills : Workshops and events will be held over the coming months to explore new skills such as puppetry and Indian dance to introduce Tower members to the show. New technologies, including projection, will also be explored to enhance the storytelling.
New Partnerships : Reaching out to other community theatre companies and individuals with the emphasis on establishing exciting, cross-cultural and creative relationships as well as supporting fellow Open Stages participants in the London region.

The RSC Open Stages has been described as the UK's biggest amateur theatre project. The Tower's production will take place alongside others from England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and New York and will be supported by skill sharing and advice from the RSC and its partner theatres in the project. The Open Stages finale will be a national celebration of amateur Shakespeare in 2012, and a selection of participants will be invited to perform their productions at the RSC in Stratford-upon-Avon as part of the World Shakespeare Festival.