SHAKESPEARE’S WOMEN
Written by
Clare McMahon
Shakespeare’sWomen
Istherelifeafterlove,afterdeath,andafterTheBard?
WhatifOpheliametJuliet?Wouldshegivehersomerelationshipadvice? WhatifPortiatoldCleopatratowiseup?Headstrong,feistyandinthethralls oflove,whatcantheylearnfromeachother?
Fusingmoderncomedyanddramawithclassicalverse,seeShakespeare andhisfavouritewomeninabrand-newlight.Presentedbyaward-winning Belfast company Commedia of Errors (The Gap Year, I Am Maura, Plays Aloud),thisbrandnewproductionoftheirsmashhitshowissuretoentertain, enthrallandenlightenaudiences.
CallaHughes(TheSnowQueen,Lyric)andCatherineRees(TheMousetrap, WestEnd)starasJulietandOphelia,orJulesandFeeforshort.Watchas theyprobeShakespeare’sbest-knowncharacterstolearnalittlemoreabout themselves. Can Goneril give them strength? Cleopatra, power or Portia, guile?CouldHamletbethekeytounlockingwhotheyare,whatwentwrong andwhythey’restillstuckplayingtheirpartsoverandoverforevermore?
Amodernexaminationoftherelationshipsbetweenmenandwomen,thisis Shakespeare dissected by two young (dead) women stuck in purgatory determinedtobepennedanew.
CreatingtheWorldof Shakespeare’sWomen
Behind the Scenes at Rehearsals
CallaHughes 'Juliet'
Calla graduated from studying a Musical Theatre BA Hons Degree at Italia Conti, London in 2022 She went on to make her professionaldebutinNovember2022asGerdainTheLyricTheatre Belfast’s“TheSnowQueen”,composedanddirectedbyPaulBoyd.
InMarch2023CallawascastasMaurainCommediaofErrors’one woman play “I Am Maura” written by Clare McMahon and directed by Benjamin Gould This ran as part of Belfast Children’s Festival in The Mac Theatre transferring into The Lyric Theatre Belfast for a second independent run In May 2023 Calla was cast as leading actressFlorainanindependentshortfilm“TheHouseThatWasNot” writtenanddirectedbyDeanByrne(YDBFilms).
In September - December 2023 Calla was cast in Replay Theatre Company’s production of ‘Tribe’ an immersive theatre project designed for autistic and neurodivergent children and young people AtthebeginningoftheNewYearCallasetouttoperforma 2024 Tour of “I Am Maura” travelling to different theatre and communityspacesaroundtheNorthandSouthofIreland
InMarch2024Callawascastin“MaryAnnTheForgottenSister”with Kabosh Theatre Company, with performances taking place in April 2024.CallaiscurrentlyfilmingforLisaMcGee’snewseries.
CatherineRees ‘Ophelia’
(she/her)
CatherinetrainedatEast15ActingSchool.
Theatre Credits include: The Mousetrap (West End and two India Tours) Vection (Headrush/Lyric Belfast) Forget Your Troubles Rehearsed Reading (Chichester Festival Theatre) Borderline:The People’s Story (Kabosh Theatre Company) Bones (Theatre 503) Poached (rehearsed reading- Prime Cut Productions) Through the Window (Three’s Theatre Company) Morningland (Finborough Theatre) Project A (Pleasance Theatre/ Camden People’s Theatre/Etcetera Theatre) Frack (Lyric Hammersmith) Valiant (Edinburgh Fringe/Theatre 503) Pride and Prejudice (Regent’s Park OpenAirTheatre)
TV & film includes: Blue Lights (BBC), Hope Street (BBC/Britbox) Nova Jones (BBC) Ted’s Top Ten (ZodiakKids/ITV) Catholic Marriage Bureau (BBC Three) The Deceived (Netflix) Oyster (Farset Films/NI Screen) Stanley (BBC) Worried,Sick (NI Screen) Life Ruiner (NI Screen) The Silence Between (CauseaScene) Light In The Sky (Long RunstheFox)
Audioincludes:LoveisMortifying(BBCRadio4)QuickComedy(BBC)
BenjaminGould Director
Benjamin founded Commedia of Errors in 2014 and is Artistic Director of the Company He holds a BA (Hons) Drama (1st Class)fromLiverpoolHopeUniversity,andanMAProfessional Acting from Alra, London. His productions have toured across Ireland, the UK, Italy and the USA He won the 2019 John FernaldAwardforEmergingDirectorsinUKandIrelandandis a multiple Arts Council Northern Ireland and British Council Awardwinner.
Recent credits as director / producer include: "The Gap Year" (Lyric Theatre), "Lily" (VR Film), "The Gap Year" (1st Irish Festival, New York), "I Am Maura" (Lyric Theatre and NI Tour), "That Scottish Play!" (Lyric Theatre and NI Tour), "Women Troubles" (CQAF), "Shakespeare’s Women"(CQAF, Lyric TheatreandNationalTour),"TheTain"(Milan,Italyandtourof Ireland)and"RomeoandJuliet"(Hen&Chickens,London)
As Assistant / Associate Director: "Three Sisters" (SITI Company, Singapore International Arts Festival), "Molly Sweeney" (Goodman Theatre Chicago), "Sweeney Todd" (NI Opera / Lyric Theatre), "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" (Terra Nova)
NoleenStevenson StageManager
(she/her)
Noleengraduatedin2010fromQueen'sUniversityBelfastwitha BAHonsinDrama
Since graduating Noleen has worked in various roles within stage management, production and technical. Some of her theatrecreditsincludeStageManagerfor“TheManWhoFellTo Pieces” (Tinderbox, 2018), “The Untold Story of Captain Hook” (Replay Theatre Company, 2020), “Is Iomaí Rud a Tharla – the Story of the Shaw’s Road Gaeltacht” (Aisling Ghéar, 2021), “An Nollaig Dhraíochta” (Aisling Ghéar, 2021), “Gepetto” (Amadan, 2023 & 2024), The Man Who Swallowed a Dictionary (Green Shoot, 2023 & 2024), Pride of the Shore (Green Shoot, 2024) ShehasalsoworkedinvariousroleswithinTVandFilmsuchas Production Secretary for the Jim Henson Company's "Pajanimals" (2011), Production Designer for KGB's award winning film "Made in Belfast" (2013) and “Parting Gift” (Village Films Belfast Ltd. 2018) and Art Director for “Echoes” (Out Of Orbit Films, 2018). Noleen is delighted to be working with Commedia of Errors again, bringing back ‘Shakespeare’s Women’whichwetouredtogethermanyyearsago.
ClareMcMahon Playwright (she/her)
Clare McMahon is a playwright and actor based in Belfast and is Co-Creative of Commedia of Errors A graduate of the Lir Academy’s MFA Playwriting she is currently under commission with Kabosh Theatre & Commedia of Errors and is one of the Abbey Theatre’s Centenary development awardees She recently made her main stage debut with ‘The Gap Year’ at the Lyric Theatre This smash hit production was chosenasoneofBritishTheatreGuides‘NIHighlightsof2022’ Previous plays include, 'Shakespeare's Women' & 'Women Troubles'(co-written).
Clare was shortlisted writer for Fishamble New Play Company’s ‘Play for Ireland’ and is an alumni of the Lyric Theatre’s New Playwrights Programme Her work has been selected for New York’s 1st Irish Origin Festival Vital Voices programme and she was a shortlisted writer for the Zodiak KidsAwardwithCBBC
AsanactorClaretrainedatRoyalCentralSchoolofSpeech& Drama and has worked in theatres across the UK & Ireland including the West End Her work at home includes; The Lyric, TheMac,Tinderbox,Bruiserand Cahoots. Television credits include playing Fanny in 'The WomaninWhite'(BBC1)andCarloin'AgathaTheTruthofMurder'(Netflix)
CarrieNeal ProjectAssistant
(she/her)
arrie joined Commedia of Errors from an arts and health harity She has extensive experience in the arts and other on-profit organisations and has a masters degree in Arts anagement and a first class honours degree in Media roduction Carrie is a multiplatform artist, from dancing in heBelfastMelatophotographyandceramics.
Further Credits
ElleKent OriginalDesign
SarahGordon OriginalLightingDesign
JonathanM.Daley LightingSupport
CAllyMcConnell ostumeSupport
JohnnyFrazer Photographer
DanLeith Videographer
The Company
Commedia of Errors is an award-winning independent theatre company based in Belfast, creating art that responds to, challenges and questions the changing times in which we live. Following on from their highly acclaimed and sell-out show I Am Maura and the smash-hitTheGapYearwiththeLyricTheatre,theawardwinningorganisationaremakingtheirDublindebutbefore bringingtheshowhometoBelfast&Derry.
