by William Shakespeare, John Fletcher and Gary Taylor

The UK premiere of the most authentic vision of the lost Shakespeare play The History of Cardenio. Leading scholar Gary Taylor has made a lively, credible, theatrically viable reconstruction of Shakespeare and Fletcher's 1612 play. Close to the poetry and passion of late Shakespeare and restoring the comic subplot, his script has the feel, breadth and variety of a real Shakespeare (and Fletcher) play. This production will be as close as any of us will ever come to a new Shakespeare play. Cardenio loves Lucinda. When he tells his friend Fernando about her, Fernando loves Lucinda too. But Fernando is already as good as married to Violenta, a farmer's daughter. So, to marry Lucinda, Fernando must be doubly false and betray the two people who are dearest to him. One will come close to death, another will go mad. Quesada, the old schoolmaster, has read too many stories of chivalry and determines to become a wandering knight. With his houseboy, Sancho, as his squire, he madly takes to the road to kill dragons and save damsels. Everyone meets in the mountains: there will be confrontations, absolutions: but will everyone come out happy? Will everyone come out sane? Those interested in this production will probably also be interested in a free talk at the theatre on Wednesday March 15th Professor Gary Taylor talks about the lost Shakespeare-and-Fletcher play The History of Cardenio: what we know about it: how we know it: and why does it matter? If you re interested in Shakespeare or theatre in general, or the renaissance in England and Spain, take this rare opportunity to hear one of the world s leading Shakespearean scholars speaking in the UK. He will describe his own long scholarly investigation, the creation of his reconstruction and the theatrical collaborations that have tested and refined it. His talk serves as prologue to the UK premiere of his reconstruction, opening at the Mary Wallace Theatre on Saturday, 18th March. Sunday's performance will be followed by a Q & A session about the play with Professor Gary Taylor. The production features original music composed by Jo Robinson.