HandleBards hat trick

HandleBards hat trick

The HandleBards (the Peddling Shakespeare: Cycling Theatre Company) went down a storm for the third year running at Northumberlandia last night with their outdoor performance of Twelfth Night.
HandleBards 2018 - Lynette Friend

Image by: Lynette Friend.

Apart from a few threatening spots of rain at the start of the evening, the weather remained fine, enabling the Bards to delight the audience with their extremely energetic performance of the popular comedy… all under the watchful eye of one of the Northeast’s most famous landmarks.

Written in 1601, the play features, amongst others, Duke Orsino who is in love with Lady Olivia (who will not have anything to do with him), Viola a gender-bending heroine who is shipwrecked and decides to cross-dress as a boy and a pompous butler called Malvolio. There is drunkenness, frivolity and cross-dressing a plenty - like modern day life.

The four- strong, all male troupe of actors who pedal from venue to venue with the set, props and costumes on their bicycles, specialise in open-air theatre across the globe whatever the weather. In previous years, the site on Fisher Lane has hosted performances of ‘As You Like It’ and ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ to the delight of everybody.