Durham-based Elysium Theatre Company is taking to the road across the North of England with an ambitious "levelling up" 19-venue tour of Shakespeare's Othello, inspired by TV spy thriller series Homeland.
Set during the Obama/Bush "War on Terror", the 27 performances - from Lancaster and Ormskirk in the West to Newcastle, Leeds and York in the East - include four days at the Assembly Rooms in Durham (October 16-19) for the second Durham Shakespeare Festival.
According to founder and artistic director Jake Murray, the tour is part of Elysium’s drive to narrow the UK's claimed "cultural gap" by taking Shakespeare “to the people”.
He explained: “We hear a lot about economic levelling-up between the North and South but much less about the cultural gap that exists between parts of the UK. Those living in big cities in the South are far more likely to experience live theatre than those in the North, and this is an something we want to put right.
“All the feedback from audiences, young and old, is that people in our part of the world are finding it harder and harder to see Shakespeare. To do so usually involves a trip to London or Stratford which, after you’ve paid for travel, accommodation, food and tickets, can cost hundreds of pounds. We don’t think this is fair.
“When we formed Elysium our mission was always to make great theatre available to everyone, regardless of their age, race, gender, income, location or background - and what better way is there to bring theatre to the people than by touring one of Shakespeare's greatest plays in the North?"
Full tour dates here