Propeller is a

theatre company Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

which presents the plays of

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

in the UK and around the world. The director is

Edward Hall Edward Hall ( – ) was an English lawyer and historian, best known for his #Chronicle, ''The Union of the Two Noble and Illustre Families of Lancastre and Yorke''—commonly known as ''Hall's Chronicle''—first published in 1548. He was ...

Background

In the mid 1990s, the artistic director of the

Watermill Theatre The Watermill Theatre is a producing theatre in Bagnor, Berkshire. It opened in 1967 in Bagnor Mill, a converted watermill on the River Lambourn. As a producing house, the theatre has staged works that have subsequently moved on to the West E ...

, Jill Fraser, offered Edward Hall the opportunity to direct ''

Othello ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'', often shortened to ''Othello'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare around 1603. Set in Venice and Cyprus, the play depicts the Moorish military commander Othello as he is manipulat ...

'' – his first full Shakespeare play. Jill Fraser and Edward Hall's collaboration grew from this into Propeller Shakespeare "mixing a rigorous approach to the text with a modern physical aesthetic".Theatre programme, Comedy Theatre, London, August 2003. Hall has set out the rules of his company, “Everyone is paid the same wage and if an actor has created a part in a production then they will automatically receive an offer on the next one which they can refuse or take.” The company has seen new members since its start, keeping the group fresh. Propeller has won several theatre awards, including winner of the 1999 Barclays Theatre Award for Best Director (Edward Hall in ''Twelfth Night''), winner of the 2002 Barclays Theatre Awards Best Touring Production for ''Rose Rage'', winner of the 2003 TMA Theatres Best Touring Production (''A Midsummer Night's Dream''), winner of 2004

Jeff Award The Joseph Jefferson Award, more commonly known informally as the Jeff Award, is given for theatre arts produced in the Chicago area. Founded in 1968, the awards are named in tribute to actor Joseph Jefferson, a 19th-century American theater st ...

for Best Director, subsequent American production (Edward Hall in ''Rose Rage''), winner of 2007

OBIE The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given since 1956 by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theater artists and groups involved in off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City. Starting just after th ...

Award for ''The Taming of the Shrew''.Theatre programme, Everyman Cheltenham, June 2009. Their 2011 touring productions of ''Henry V'' and ''The Winter's Tale'' featured in a ''Guardian'' theatre series, ''On tour with Propeller''.On tour with Propeller
Nicholas Asbury's series for ''The Guardian'', accessed 17 October 2024

Repertory

*''

Henry V Henry V may refer to: People * Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026) * Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125) * Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161) * Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (–1227) * Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (1216–1281 ...

'' (first produced in 1997) *''

The Comedy of Errors ''The Comedy of Errors'' is one of William Shakespeare's early plays. It is his shortest and one of his most farcical comedies, with a major part of the humour coming from slapstick and mistaken identity, in addition to puns and word play ...

'' (1998) *''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night, or What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Viola an ...

'' (1999) *''Rose Rage'' (2001) based on the '' Henry VI'' plays *''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a Comedy (drama), comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One s ...

'' (2003) *''

The Winter's Tale ''The Winter's Tale'' is a play by William Shakespeare originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, many modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some criti ...

'' (2005) *''

The Taming of the Shrew ''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunke ...

'' (2006) *''

The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan taken out on behalf of his dear friend, Bassanio, and provided by a ...

'' (2008) *''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and its cadet branch the House of York. His defeat and death at the Battle of Boswor ...

'' (2010) The company has toured throughout the UK, and to Australia, Bangladesh, Barbados, China, Cyprus, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, New Zealand, The Philippines, Poland, Spain, Sri Lanka, Turkey and the USA. They have appeared at the Shakespeare festival in

Neuss Neuss (; written ''Neuß'' until 1968; ; ) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is on the west bank of the Rhine opposite Düsseldorf. Neuss is the largest city within the Rhein-Kreis Neuss district. It is primarily known for its ...

, Germany.Shakespeare Festival in Globe Neuss - Propeller
accessed 1 February 2015

Company

Actors who have appeared with Propeller include:
*

Nicholas Asbury Nicholas Asbury (born 13 February 1971) is a British actor and author. He won an Olivier Award as part of the Royal Shakespeare Company's complete cycle of Shakespeare's history plays in 2009 and is known for television roles such as Winston Churc ...

(Montjoy, Sir Thomas Grey, Polixenes)A cup of tea with... Propeller's Nicholas Asbury
accessed 17 October 2024 * Bob Barrett (Baptista, Malvolio, Antonio, Bottom) * Richard Clothier (Richard III) *

Richard Dempsey Richard Dempsey is an English actor. Career Dempsey's first role came at the age of 15, when he appeared as Peter Pevensie in the BBC's adaptation of ''The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'' in 1988. The following year, he appeared in the ad ...

(Lorenzo, Titania) * John Dougall (Gobbo, Flute) *

Johnny Flynn Johnny Flynn (born 14 March 1983) is a British actor and musician. He starred as Dylan Witter in the Channel 4 and Netflix television sitcom '' Lovesick'' and is also known for his performances as David Bowie in the 2020 film '' Stardust''; M ...

(Sebastian, Curtis) *

Jamie Glover Jamie Blair Glover is an English actor. He is best known for playing Andrew Treneman in the BBC One school-based drama series, '' Waterloo Road'', returning to the role in 2023. He was also cast as Harry Potter in the second cast of the West-End ...

(Henry V) *

Robert Hands Robert Hands is a British actor based in London. He trained at the Bristol Old Vic theatre school. His career has spanned over twenty years during which time he has played leading roles in film, television, and both classical and musical theatre ...

(Helena) *

Christopher Heyward Christopher is the English version of a Europe-wide name derived from the Greek name Χριστόφορος (''Christophoros'' or '' Christoforos''). The constituent parts are Χριστός (''Christós''), "Christ" or "Anointed", and φέρει ...

(Orsino, Tailor, Widow) *

Robert Horwell Robert "Bob" Horwell is a British cinematographer and actor who was born in Scarborough, North Riding of Yorkshire. His father, whom he was named after, was a coal merchant and Audrey, his mother, was also a successful small businesswoman. His si ...

(Pistol, Dromio, Sir Toby Belch) *

Dugald Bruce Lockhart Dugald Bruce Lockhart is an Anglo-Scottish stage and screen actor, director and writer. Background and education A member of the Bruce Lockhart family, Lockhart was born in Fiji in 1968, the son of James Robert Bruce Lockhart (1941–2018), ...

(Petruchio, Olivia, Lysander) *

Sam Swainsbury Sam Swainsbury (born 23 August 1982) is an English actor, known for his roles as Jason in the BBC Two, BBC sitcom ''Mum (TV series), Mum'' and the Stonehenge TV reporter in ''Thor: The Dark World''. Early life Swainsbury was born in Colchester a ...

(Salerio, Demetrius) *

Jack Tarlton Jack Tarlton (born 24 July 1976) is a British actor from Edinburgh, Scotland, know mainly for his television work. From 2005 to 2006, he appeared as Meshak in the original Royal National Theatre production of Helen Edmundson Helen Edmundson ...

(Bassanio, Lysander, Hortensio, Orsino) * Dominic Tighe (Queen Elizabeth) * Jon Trenchard (Jessica, Robin Goodfellow, Bianca) * Tam Williams (Lucentio, Viola)

References

External links

The website of PropellerEdward Hall talks about
directing the all-male Shakespeare company Propeller o
The Interview Online
{{authority control Shakespearean theatre companies in England Arts organizations established in 1997