After six successful performances, we say goodbye to Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia. They move on to the afterlife while The Pennyless Players move out of Kristallwerk (for now) to enjoy their well-earned Easter break.
For five evenings and one afternoon in a row, our visitors have had the opportunity to follow the fate of three royal daughters after their demise at the end of King Lear, in this original continuation/reimagining of the famous Shakespearean tragedy, written by our member (and also director) Caroline Kimbell. Reunited in a strange liminal space, the sisters came to re-examine their lives and their relationships in order to understand “the truth of their existence” – to quote a line from the play.
The sisters’ progression from quarreling and accusations to resignation to, finally, an understanding of each other and the lives that formed them made up the emotional journey at the heart of We Pelican Daughters. They were joined by other familiar faces from King Lear, among them a “sweet, bitter, or rather bitter-sweet, all-licensed” Fool, who accompanied them through the afterlife, seemingly a distraction, but really a guide.
The intimacy between the characters, but also between characters and audience, was increased by the deployment of an arena stage, with the viewers surrounding the stage on all four sides and in close proximity to the actors. This provided every side of the stage with a slightly different perspective on the events unfolding, with the characters sometimes drawing closer to one side, sometimes fleeing to another. This unfamiliar staging, together with directing methods borrowed from devised theatre giving the actors greater control over the development of their roles, provided new and exciting challenges to cast and crew. We now dare to say: The hard work paid off and we are proud with the result – a touching play about family, trauma, love, and sisterhood!
The last performance was followed by a Q&A with the directorial team and members from cast and crew. Participation was lively as The Pennyless Players answered interested questions about, among other things, the sound design or the intricacies of adapting and expanding classical texts. In addition, our production team was happy to give the intrigued viewers a little glimpse into the rehearsal process.
Far more people are involved in a production of this kind than can be properly thanked in one paragraph of text. But here are some people to whom we want to express our gratitude: Caroline Kimbell, who provided us with her fantastic script and moving tale of three sisters; our directorial team, their guidance and support; our talented and hard-working cast and crew, without whom the Pelican Daughters would have remained mere letters on paper; our numerous supporters, both material and immaterial; and of course: our audience – who are as much part of theatre as the people on stage!
Check out our gallery to view photos from We Pelican Daughters and the full list of cast and crew!
The Pennyless Players 