PurpleDoor Theatre

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PurpleDoor Theatre The world's greatest plays. Undiscovered local talent. Classics Unchained. Modern Chorus. Find out more at www.purpledoortheatre.co.uk

HAMLET and TWELFTH NIGHT Double-BillIn the midst of the darkest violence of 1980s Liverpool, on the Estate of Denmark, H...
13/10/2026

HAMLET and TWELFTH NIGHT Double-Bill

In the midst of the darkest violence of 1980s Liverpool, on the Estate of Denmark, Hamlet discovers an impossible truth. Ten years later, as times change and some of the memories of what came before get lost, a new generation seek to rediscover the city and what life has to offer in Twelfth Night.

To celebrate our 18th year, we're reviving two of our most celebrated past productions. First toured across the UK and Ireland in 2014/15, Hamlet and Twelfth Night are now brought together in one huge project, re-staged and re-told by an incredible cast of working-class North West talent. With a cast of 19, and over five hours of Shakespeare, this is the biggest project we have ever staged.

Today we're announcing the first of our tour venues as we kick-off the double-bill this December at Make North Docks, transforming their epic warehouse into an immersive birthday celebration with more additions to the lineup still to be announced.

Tickets for this first tour venue are now on sale via the link in our bio.

Full Ensemble:
JP Ayres – Sebastian / Francisco / Third Player
Izzy Baxter – Curio / Horatio / First Officer
Nanci Bennett – Hamlet
Elen Bodey – Fabian / Valentine / Marcellus
Holly Dawson - Ophelia
Neve Elizabeth – Guildenstern
Lily McGaw - Maria / Reynaldo / 2nd Gravedigger
Eleanor Niblett – Sir Toby Belch / 1st Gravedigger
Laura Patterson – Polonia
Eve Phillips – Olivia
Ella Rene – Malvolia / 2nd Player
Eva Riemens – Feste / Osric
Harry John Smith – Claudius / Ghost
Christopher Sutcliffe – Sir Andrew Aguecheek / 1st Player
Maggie Thorn – Viola
Elspeth Todd – Gertrude
Lily Turner – Antonia / Barnardo
Rhiannon Woods – Captain / Second Officer / Rosencrantz
Harry Wright – Orsino / Laertes

Crew:
Lisa Clarke - Props Master
Seth Douglas - Designer
Karl Falconer - Director
Francesca Hill - Assistant Director: Twelfth Night
Zach Holzberg - Assistant Director: Hamlet
Meredith Lewis - Movement Director
Joe Porter - Technician

First day at new school. These class sizes are getting out of control. They seem like gooduns though 💜Hamlet / Twelfth N...
05/09/2026

First day at new school. These class sizes are getting out of control. They seem like gooduns though 💜

Hamlet / Twelfth Night Double Bill here we go!

Ps. If you think this is a lot of people there are five others missing from this pic...😶

26/08/2026

Remembering that when we first staged Twelfth Night in 2014 (twelve years ago!) we made an entire documentary. Can't wait to revive this crazy show this autumn!

🎥 by the brilliant Chris Chapman.

London! We're stopping by for a flying visit this Saturday as we conclude our epic tour of Romeo.Juliet, our unflinching...
24/08/2026

London! We're stopping by for a flying visit this Saturday as we conclude our epic tour of Romeo.Juliet, our unflinching and provocative look at the love story we think we know, through the lens of the manosphere and toxic masculinity. This isn't simply Shakespeare’s play, but a blend of new and old, condensed to one straight 100 minute run. From R+D at HOME in 2025 to shows at Slung Low, the Kings Arms and the Gala Theatre, Durham, don't miss our final date for 2026 as we come to the iconic Old Red Lion Pub & Playhouse this week as part of the Camden Fringe

A limited number of tickets are still available.

🚨 Cast announcement 🚨Well holy heck if this isn't the most exciting cast we've ever pulled together I don't know what is...
21/08/2026

🚨 Cast announcement 🚨
Well holy heck if this isn't the most exciting cast we've ever pulled together I don't know what is.

Say hi to the ensemble for our epic double-bill. Celebrating PurpleDoor's 18th year, one cast bring together two of our favourite past productions, which also coincidentally happen to be two of the greatest plays ever written. How about that. Hamlet and Twelfth Night, Autumn 2026.

Venues, dates and tickets coming soon.

Would you like to be involved as crew? Drop us a line!

19/08/2026

See you next week 💜

Who's coming to see us for our final show in London next week at the iconic

London! Dont miss the final stop of our summer tour as we bring Romeo.Juliet to the iconic Old Red Lion for one night on...
10/08/2026

London! Dont miss the final stop of our summer tour as we bring Romeo.Juliet to the iconic Old Red Lion for one night only. Supported by HOME and previewed at Slung Low, Romeo.Juliet is our provocative take on Shakespeare's play, reworked and retold, inspired by the manopsphere and toxic masculinity. This powerful, punchy new play showcases some incredible North West talent, and has been garnering great reviews as we've toured this summer. Now only one act, 100 minutes, and tenser than ever.

Available tickets are extremely limited so book early to avoid disappointment.

Old Red Lion
29th August
7.30pm

Romeo - James Sprague
Juliet - Tesni
Mercutio / Montague - philippe.n.rose
Escalus / Nurse - Amber🧚‍♀️
Lady Capulet / Lady Montague - jasmine mcivor
Tybalt - Jack Laurent
Paris / Benvolio - Charlie Forrest

Scenes from the wings 📸Having the time of my life working on this show with these gorgeous people. Last night truly earn...
31/07/2026

Scenes from the wings 📸

Having the time of my life working on this show with these gorgeous people. Last night truly earned its place as one of the very best days in PurpleDoor lore. Onwards to London!

Delighted to have finally graduated from my PhD after five long years of energy, curiosity, loneliness, resilience, crit...
25/07/2026

Delighted to have finally graduated from my PhD after five long years of energy, curiosity, loneliness, resilience, critical thinking and challenging my preconceptions.

To have done so not on some random PhD topic, but on something so close to my heat and what PurpleDoor has aimed to recognise is something I am immensely proud of. My PhD is a call to theatres, policy makers and the academy to recognise and give proper legitimacy to the wealth of work outside of the theatre mainstream, whether we call it fringe, student, non-professional or unpaid, by recognising that many people are in this space by circumstance, not by choice, and that there is something unique in how this work is created, who gets to do it, and how it meets community and audiences, which aught to be elevated. Fringe is not just professional waiting to happen.

I self funded this PhD, which means I will be paying for it for the rest of my life. But to have started this journey to recognise the type of work PurpleDoor and so many others makes is worth it.

Whether presenting at the LGA Annual Conference at the start of July, submitting my chapter for the upcoming 'Shakespeare and Stanislavski' book, or working with Tour de France as it comes to the UK, I cant wait to see how this develops and what's next.

Why Royal Holloway? I knew there was only one person I wanted to go on this adventure with. To have worked so closely with Professor Helen Nicholson, the godmother of applied theatre, is an experience I will forever be grateful for and a partnership I know will continue.

Over five years Ive faced personal challenges in the background to this that I would never wish on anybody. Some so private only my cat knows about them. And I have worked full or part time throughout, despite the formal academic advice, working constantly in my spare time. It has not been an easy ride, one which saw me start a lot of therapy since, something that has changed my life in its own way.

Not bad coming from a single income household, growing up in a council estate and spending most of my time at school being bullied and, on more than one occasion physically spat on for being a "swat". Here's to all that 🙏

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