The Serpent Under it - Shakespeare's Darkest Plays

What is truth? We live in a time where everything, even our sense of what is real, can be bought, sold and manipulated - hidden behind the gloss of a false flag. Through a playful theatre laboratory of words, light and movement we will explore the darker side of human nature, our vaulting ambitions and access to evil, using texts from Shakespaere’s tragedies «King Lear», «Othello», "Richard III" and «Macbeth". By using the original language, none of Shakespeare’s timeless poetry and insight is lost in translation. More than 400 years after his death, the words of Shakespeare still ring true...  

To beguile the time, look like the time.

Bear welcome in your eye, your hand, your tongue.

Look like th' innocent flower, but be the serpent under ’t. Lady Macbeth

"The Serpent Under It" premiered on the 31st of October 2018 at Sentralen in Oslo, with a three-day run, transferring to Ås Kulturhus on the 15th of November. 

Director: Øyvind Osmo Eriksen

Cast: Elisabeth Dahl, Haakon Mustafa Akdokur Smestad and Michael Sharman

Light Design: Mats Bergström 

Costume Design: Ingjerd Meland

Running time: 75 minutes

Funded by Fond for utøvende kunstnere and NSF Fond for frilansere