PRODUCTIONS

by Thomas Kyd
Arcola Theatre, E8

14th October - 14th Novemeber 2008

“Oh monstrous times, where murder’s set so light.”

Watched by the ghost of a young soldier and the mysterious figure of Revenge, the royal leaders of war-torn Spain and Portugal plan a marriage between their families in the hope of forging peace.

But the bride to be already has a secret lover. When he is murdered to make way for the new groom, his father Hieronimo is forced down a brutal path of vengeance from which there is no return.
 
The first revenge play on the Elizabethan stage, The Spanish Tragedy was a sensational hit and inspired a whole new wave of drama, including Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

This inventive modern-dress production rediscovers the play as a ferociously powerful exploration of grief, violence, and the human need for retribution.

"Gloriously bombastic and operatic in scope, sending judder after judder through the unnerved audience"

"Gripping from beginning to blood-soaked end" British Theatre Guide

Sarah Hemming, Financial Times