The Barn Theatre in Cirencester has announced a new Shakespeare series which sees the Bard’s beloved monologues reimagined to fit into modern day lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic. The series will release a new monologue every weekday to the Barn Theatre’s Facebook, YouTube and Twitter accounts, beginning 20th April 2020.

The series, which is co-produced by actor Aaron Sidwell, director Hal Chambers and the Barn Theatre, forms part of the Barn Theatre’s free Behind The Barn Door streaming service. The series is production co-ordinated by company stage manager Emma Smith.

Aaron Sidwell says of the upcoming series, “Just as Shakespeare was locked out from his theatres during various plague outbreaks, the Barn’s actors are in a similar predicament. Now, literally barred from our places of work, The Actors of the Barn Theatre present some of Shakespeare’s most memorable speeches and moments via the wonders of modern technology. This is Shakespeare’s work inspired and influenced by our strange new lockdown world”.

The series takes inspiration from the Barn Theatre’s 2019 re-imagining of Shakespeare’s Henry V, which was directed by Hal Chambers and starred Aaron Sidwell in the titular role. The production was described by the Telegraph’s Dominic Cavendish as a “populist Hal for a post-Brexit world” and can now be streamed on the Barn Theatre’s Facebook and YouTube channel for free as part of Behind The Barn Door and to fundraise for the theatre’s SAVE OUR BARN campaign.

The cast for Bard From The Barn have all previously performed at the Barn Theatre in their Built by Barn productions, including cast members from their debut production, The Secret Garden, and the final production before their temporary closure, Patrick Barlow’s Ben Hur.

The series will release a new monologue every weekday at 5pm.The series will also comprise of a weekly roundup show, hosted by Aaron Sidwell every Friday at 9pm, that will take a closer look at the week’s new work, featuring the actors and creatives. The roundup show launches at 9pm on 24 April 2020.

The monologues will be reimagined and directed by Phil Bartlett, Hal Chambers, Jess Daniels, Kirstie Davis, Robert Forknall, David Mercatali, Joseph O’Malley, Joe Pitcher, Dominic Shaw, Jake Smith, Michael Strassen and Sean Turner.