1599 Project

1599. In that one year of an amazing outpouring of creativity, Shakespeare wrote four plays which, taken as a whole, tell the overarching tale of one archetypal, near mythic character who, developing and transforming through various guises hurtles from one play to the next.

Henry V is the triumph of youthful genius.

Julius Caesar is what happens when idealism makes a deal with the devil.

As You Like It begins as a nightmare before becoming a manic romp before culminating in climax of near operatic proportions.

Hamlet is a spiral into chaos and near madness.

1599 features intimate, streamlined productions of these four plays, all performed in one evening of epic theatre. This is a giant mythic journey for both actor and audience.

Inspired by James Shapiro’s A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare 1599, nine years ago we began work on this, the most elaborate and challenging project in our 34 year history.