a New Year 2021 event from the Shakespeare Ensemble
Watch the 38 Midnights around the world unfold over 26 hours with our Time Tree, as artists from Japan, Czechia, South Africa, Ghana, Norway The Netherlands, Wales, Scotland, England, USA, Canada, Mexico, & Brazil share their responses to ‘Time’, using Shakespeare’s Sonnets and The Winter’s Tale as their starting points.
Check in to the show from 10am GMT on 31st December as 2022 arrives in Kiritimati, tune in over the 26 hours for the new midnight celebrations, and remember to celebrate with Baker Island at 12pm GMT on 1st January! And don’t forget, at any point you’re welcome to Ask The Oracle - our very own Shakespearean Magic 8 Ball!
In order to watch, sign up to our mailing list.
Then, on December 30th a “ticket” will be emailed out with a link to the performance website
We started exploring The Winter’s Tale in the spring of 2021. We were excited at the idea of creating an event over New Year’s Eve. And we were keen to expand both our digital creativity and audience engagement experiments, after the success of our 2020 virtual promenade, What You Will.
Then, like everyone else, we became busy with other things, as our worlds slowly opened up a little.
We started work on our digital Winter Tales Project in November ‘21. A live show felt risky, as our members are spread around the world. We were doubtful of an especially big Digital audience during the winter holidays, and yet we were mindful that there’s an important demographic unable or unwilling to return to Live Theatre.
An audience who were grateful for the surge in Digital Arts in 2020, but as the theatres reopened, were left behind.
As we step towards 2022, and plays are being cancelled, and New Year’s events around the globe scrapped, we send a wintry offering of togetherness, entertainment, and reflection.
Our NYEvent is Free For All, or Donate What You Will.
We are proud to give our art for free so that all can enjoy it with as little obstacle to access as possible. That said, if you’re able to support us, we would deeply appreciate it.
As a self-produced Ensemble, each artist participating in Winter Tales can “opt-in” to receive a share of any proceeds from your donations (made via PayPal). Other than this virtual passing of the virtual hat, no one involved in this production is receiving any compensation.
Winter Tales will continue in 2022, and this NYEvent is a taster-teaser of what’s to come.
With love, and well-wishes to all,
#wintertales