The Defamation – Riverside Studios
Presented as part of the Riverside Studios Bitesize Festival, this is an intriguing piece of theatre written by Zen Tucker. Said to be inspired by the events of the Depp versus Heard defamation lawsuit in the US, it is situated in a liminal space between life and death. Five of Shakespeare's best-known female characters are obliged to spend interminable time awaiting the decision of an afterlife court as to whether they should be dispatched to heaven or hell.
The setting is a library with somewhat irregular shelves and two small tables. The characters are Desdemona, Lady Macbeth, Hermione, Ophelia and Hero. For those not familiar with Shakespeare, the character sheet provides a useful summary of their roles their respective plays. The play, which is written in blank verse, involves the ...