What is "A Two woman hamlet"?
A TWO WOMAN HAMLET is a fun, funny, fast-paced take on Shakespeare's classic tragedy, which 
nonetheless cuts to the heart of the toxic masculinity that drives everyone towards the bloody conclusion. Two actors (and a skull) take on 23 roles between them, leaping seamlessly across shared roles as well as multi-rolling.
The original production, directed by Mara Sherman, did very well at the Capitol Fringe in Washington, DC in 2018, and in Edinburgh in 2022. Our fresh production has just finished a sold-out run as part of the Lakeside Theatre's Homegrown season in Colchester, and we are eager to bring the show to new audiences.
The show is performed in the original Shakespearean language (second quarto, for those who care!), cut to the accommodate a 60-minutes running time. Mara Sherman, who conceived of and directed the original production, describes herself as an "eraser" more than a playwright.
The adaptation's key innovation is taking Ophelia's agency seriously and imagining her as an intellectual equal to Hamlet. It forgoes the violence that is almost always added in the infamous nunnery scene and instead asks, what happens if Hamlet and Ophelia actually like each other?
The production is low-tech and relies almost entirely on the energy and craft of the two performers, making it very straightforward to bring into new spaces. We have a rotation cast of three actors, bringing fresh excitement to each performance as they mix and match across the two tracks.
Meet The team
Nora J. Williams (Director) is an academic and theatre-maker. Her first book, Canonical Misogyny: Shakespeare and Dramaturgies of Sexual Violence was published this year by Edinburgh University Press. She and her husband co-host Not Another Shakespeare Podcast!, which strives to take neither itself nor Shakespeare too seriously.
Sharmila Peake (Performer) is an actress and writer. She trained at LAMDA and as a member of the Queen Mary Players she played Rosalind in As You Like It, Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing and Helena in All's Well That Ends Well. Currently, she is assistant to the director on the Headgate Theatre’s forthcoming production of Tartuffe.
Deanna Strasse (Performer) is an award-winning playwright and (occasional) actress. Originally from Milwaukee, Deanna now lives in Colchester and is pursuing her Master's Degree in Scriptwriting at the University of Essex. Up next: a staged reading of her new play Dead Doves and Lemons OR Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Fan Fiction (but were too afraid to ask) at Hen & Chickens Theatre this August (as part of Camden Fringe Festival). Stay up-to-date on her adventures at DeannaStrasse.com
Lolly Taylor (Performer) is a third year Drama and Literature student at the University of Essex. They have been acting since childhood, and they are now Vice President of the Theatre Arts Society. Credits include Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, Snow White in Snow White, and Irwin in The History Boys.
Marina Cusi (Movement Director) is a performer, producer, playwright, and artist Catalan based in Essex. Marina is currently the Artistic Director of Mad, Who?, an award-winning multilingual theatre company.
Where will the money go?
- Props and costumes: £100
- Transportation for cast and crew: £400
- London accommodation: £400
- Technical support: £150
- Fringe registration costs: £300
- Marketing: £600
- Cost of living: £500
- Artist fund: £550
Help us succeed!
You don't need to give money to help us succeed!
Please share this fundraiser with anyone who likes theatre! Give us a shoutout on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, by email, etc. Help us to bring this important show to Camden and (hopefully) more Fringe Festivals in the future!
(In fact, share it with everyone you know as we think it's a great idea, and the more people who know about it, the more likely we are to make this work out brilliantly.
