The Maltese Bodkin at the Fringe Festival
12 Aug 2010 Leave a Comment
Set in London 1605 London and populated with a plethora of Shakespeare’s most sinister characters, The Maltese Bodkin (Abridged) follows Birnam Wood, Private Eye, as he tries to unravel the mystery of his partner’s murder. Someone stabbed Archie Heath in the back; was it Iago, Mercutio, Falstaff or Puck? The answer lies with the Maltese Bodkin in this Shakespearean who-hath-done-it.
Award-winning Edmonton playwright, David Belke has abridged his Fringe Festival classic to accommodate the Vancouver Festival time restraint while retaining every twist and plot turn of the full-length original. Director Ellie King, Artistic Director of The Royal Canadian Theatre company, mixes the stylized genres of film noir and Shakespearean classics to hilarious results.
This Equity Co-Op is stage managed by Mira Bruce and features performances by Michael Charrois and Jacqueline Becher (WINK Theatre), Kerri Norris and Nigel Brooke (Shadows & Dreams Theatre), Mark Carter, Daniel White, Steven Weller and David Mann.
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Playwright’s Notes
The action of theMaltese Bodkin |(Abridged) draws from numerous Shakespearian plots and takes a number of different points in their plot lines. For instance, the play’s events take place after the stories of Hamlet, Othello, MacBeth and the Tempest have concluded. Conversely it takes place before the action of Romeo and Juliet and Henry IV Part One. In addition Birnam Wood’s adventure happens concurrently with Richard III (despite its stated date of 1605). The supporting characters are taken from a variety of Shakespeare’s plays: Viola and Sebastian- Twelfth Night; Iago- Othello; Sir John Falstaff and Mistress Nell Quickly- Henry IV Pt.1 and 2, Henry V and the Merry Wives of Windsor; Mercutio- Romeo and Juliet; Puck- A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Donalbain- MacBeth; Sergeant Fang- Henry IV Pt. 2; Prospero- The Tempest; Richard, Catesby and Ratcliffe- Richard III; Rosencrantz and Guildenstern- Hamlet.
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PLAY REVIEW from PLANK Magazine: “A strong cast with good material, this show is for those who enjoy a good detective mystery, Shakespeare and inside jokes from both worlds”. More >
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