THE world’s first cycling theatre company, The HandleBards, are returning to Frome to perform their hit all-male production of Twelfth Night at Rook Lane Chapel on the 6th June.
Since 2013, their two troupes (one all-male, the other all-female) have pedalled over 7,000 miles across the UK to perform their unique brand of ‘charmingly chaotic, environmentally sustainable, bicycle-powered Shakespeare’.
Producer Paul Moss explains that, in usual HandleBards style, we can expect “riotous amounts of energy, a fair old whack of chaos, and a great deal of laughter” from the show.
The HandleBards pride themselves on just how accessible they’re able to make Shakespeare and his plays. “The key is not to take it all so seriously,” explains Paul. “We only ever cast four actors in our productions, for the very reason that it’s nearly impossible to perform a Shakespeare play with just four actors – attempting it always leads to hilarity both on and off stage, it’s really a lot of fun.”
This year will mark The HandleBards’ sixth UK summer season, having begun their adventure in 2013 with a 967 mile cycle from Glasgow to London. Back then, it was theatre on a shoestring – and not meant figuratively – the boys used shoelaces and a sponge to attach their trailers to their bikes.
Since then, the group has gone from strength to strength; they’ve grown from a set of friends with cheap bikes and a rickety old trailer to an internationally successful theatre company, who have performed their brand of fast-paced, bicycle-powered Shakespeare in 12 countries across three continents, winning the support of legions of fans, including British bicycle manufacturer Pashley, whose hand-crafted bikes the HandleBards will be riding throughout 2018.
“We’re on a journey to become the world’s front-runners in sustainable theatre,” explains Paul. “This year we’re planting trees to try and offset 100% of our carbon emissions. We’ve talked about climate change (not ‘fake news’ by the way!) for years now, but nothing will really change until we all stop complaining about how awful it all is, and actually do something to change the way we live our lives. Climate change needs real advocates, and we’re prepared to be just that within the arts.”
The HandleBards also work hard to grow real engagement with local communities. They invite local musicians to play at their shows, and encourage localities to see their shows as an opportunity for the whole community to get together over something positive.
“Why not knock on your neighbour’s door and invite them to share a picnic at the show with you?” suggests Paul.
The HandleBards all-female troupe will also tour the UK this summer, with Romeo and Juliet. Find out more and book tickets for both shows at www.handle bards.com.
