A new twist on Shakespeare arrives in Coventry: An interview with Stacey Norris ahead of their production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream

This October, the touring Shitfaced Shakespeare company will be coming to Coventry, with their performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.  As the company’s name suggests, this is going to be a Shakespearean performance unlike any other, with one of the cast members performing drunk.  I was lucky enough to interview the producer/ director of Shitfaced Shakespeare, Stacey Norris, who will also be playing three roles herself in this season’s show.  Norris gave me a personal insight into life on the (drunken) stage, as well as speaking about her own journey into acting and some of the show’s best anecdotes to date.    

There are ten of us in the cast playing seven parts. We all rotate, which keeps it exciting and fresh for the drunk because they don’t know what’s going on

– Stacey Norris

For this performance, Norris will be playing Helena, Oberon and Compere.  She remarked: “There are ten of us in the cast playing seven parts. We all rotate, which keeps it exciting and fresh for the drunk because they don’t know what’s going on.” With the rotating of characters and spontaneous selection of the drunkard, you can be assured that no two performances will be the same.   

As we discussed Norris’ route into the world of acting and early career life, she claimed, “I went to university, and I read English language. I came from quite an underfunded state school, and I didn’t even know that drama school existed! So, it was very much: ‘You go to university to do something like English, Maths and History.’ (If you’re lucky enough to get into one of them.) Then, it was through university that I realised: there’s this thing called drama school!” Norris’s degree in English Language is a testament to the many careers English can lead to, but her story also proves that it is never too late to change direction within education and follow your career dreams.  Norris went on to do her postgraduate course at Drama Studio London, with Shitfaced Shakespeare being her first audition out of drama school.  Norris recalls: “I thought, ‘Is this something I should do? I’m a serious actress, what am I doing? Do I really want to do this job?’ And actually, it’s the best decision I’ve ever made in my life. I’ve been with the show now for 13 years, I think. I’ve been all over the world, some of my best friends are from the show, I’ve made some incredible connections and just had a great time along the way.” 

Having joined the company in its very early days, Norris has watched Shitfaced Shakespeare flourish in popularity and gain its reputation.  As we discussed some of the company’s first appearances, Norris commented on the Edinburgh Fringe Festival experience, saying, “We were very lucky, to be honest. People just couldn’t believe what we were doing. We immediately sold out, and we sold out for that entire run (…) It’s turned into a Fringe staple that everyone goes to see every year!”  The Edinburgh Fringe Festival continues to provide a spotlight to up and coming artists. With a reputation for all things wacky and wild, it is no shock that Shitfaced Shakespeare is so well received every year, especially when the audience members know they are in for something completely original compared to any previous show.   

Amidst the humour of the performance, Norris discussed the importance of supportive cast members and what the company looks for in their prospective thespians

Learning Shakespearean scripts from the perspective of three different characters would be a daunting task to many actors. However, for Norris and the cast, this must be done, and with only three weeks of rehearsals. Despite the time-crunch, Norris embraces this immersion, exclaiming “It’s lovely to watch somebody else play the same part as you and go, ‘Oh, love that, that’s genius!’ and, ‘I’m stealing that bit!’” 

No one ever wants to go on a drunken night out with people who can’t seem to have fun, and most importantly, can’t look out one another.  For the Shitfaced Shakespeare crew, the same applies.  Amidst the humour of the performance, Norris discussed the importance of supportive cast members and what the company looks for in their prospective thespians: “Somebody that wants to mess around, create chaos, have fun, but at the same time, is kind. (…) You’re putting yourself in a very vulnerable position; being drunk on stage in front of however many people, and you’re not going to remember what you’ve done the next day. You need to feel comfortable that the people around you love you and have your back, and they’re going to let you make a fool of yourself because that’s fun, but only in a way that you would be happy with!” Perhaps there is a lesson for all of us to take from Norris’ insight into drunken vulnerability. It is evident that the company know exactly how to lessen the ‘hangxiety’ of their colleagues with reassurance, support and love.   

Of course, however, along with shots and cocktails come stories that you just can’t write. Norris recalled some of her favourite anecdotes, saying “there’s been very simple things like actors finding stagehands’ bikes backstage and cycling them onto the stage; fire extinguishers being brought on; just very naughty things! Crowd surfing through the audience, climbing over the audience in the chairs…”  Discussing these moments made me even more excited to see A Midsummer Night’s Dream and reiterates how unique each performance promises to be. Norris continued, “We had one of the Helenas decide that she was going to be a dominatrix and make (Demetrius and Lysander) do whatever she wanted them to do. They were on the floor, barking for her, rolling around on the floor. They were doing whatever she asked them to do and that was brilliant.” 

I think he would probably love it. I think it would look more like what a Shakespeare performance would have looked like in his day than some of the more stuffy performances nowadays

 – Stacey Norris

Rambunctious moments such as these can leave us wondering, “what would Shakespeare think of all this?” Norris discussed how, in Shakespeare’s time, the standing audience members in The Globe would have most likely been drunk (due to dirty water and cheap beer). She continued, “We know from soliloquies that Shakespeare is expecting the actors to speak to the audience directly, and at that time, they would have had replies from the groundlings.” This attention to Shakespeare’s roots brings an almost traditional element to Shitfaced Shakespeare’s performance – one that is often lost in the seriousness of many modern Shakespearean adaptations.  Stacey Norris concluded, “I think he would probably love it. I think it would look more like what a Shakespeare performance would have looked like in his day than some of the more stuffy performances nowadays.” 

Thank you to Stacey Norris for taking part in this interview. As we attend A Midsummer Night’s Dream this October, I wonder what the drunk will have in store for us on the night. We wish you, the cast and crew the best of luck for the tour!