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William Shakespeare's Land of the Dead

Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy  /  2w, 8m, 1boy(s), 8any gender (adult)

John Heimbuch's wonderfully witty and clever play, set in London in 1599, is a true and accurate account of the Elizabethan zombie plague.

William Shakespeare's Land of the Dead

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    2w, 8m, 1boy(s), 8any gender (adult)
  • Duration
    Duration
    90 minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Adventure, Adaptation (Shakespeare), Mystery/Thriller, Period, Parody/Spoof
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Teen (Age 14-18)

Details

Summary

London, 1599. Shakespeare’s Henry V opens the Globe Playhouse, but while the actors strut and fret, an excess of bile plagues the populace outside.

After the opening of his newest play, William Shakespeare must once again defend his work – fending off the embittered clown Will Kemp while trying to appease Francis Bacon, a wealthy lawyer who has come with an idea to pitch. But when the company’s costumer is bitten by a plague-ridden madman, and the Queen and her men arrive seeking safety, life in the playhouse takes a turn for the worse.

As the affliction spreads through London, the Globe is placed in quarantine and the survivors within must fight for their lives. Can they escape? Is there a cure? Is artistic integrity ever worth dying for?

A true and accurate account of the Elizabethan zombie plague.

History
William Shakespeare's Land of the Dead premiered in 2008 at the Rarig Thrust Stage in Minneapolis, produced by Walking Shadow Theatre Company.

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (35) – Player, playwright, company member
RICHARD BURBAGE (31) – Player and theatre manager
WILL KEMP (40s) – Player, clown, and Morris dancer
JOHN RICE (teens) – An apprentice player
KATE BRAITHWAITE (30s) – The attiring woman
JOHN SINKLO (30s) – A hired player
FRANCIS BACON (38) – Lawyer, courier, philosopher
SIR ROBERT CECIL (36) – The Queen’s spymaster
QUEEN ELIZABETH (65) – The Queen of England
DOCTOR JOHN DEE (71) – An astrologer and mathematician
SOLDIER 1 – A recruiting officer
SOLDIER 2 – A soldier of the Queen’s guard
OTHER PLAYERS
OTHER SOLDIERS
AFFLICTED

  • Time Period 16th Century/Elizabethan
  • Setting

    Summer 1599. Southwark, England. In the tiring house of the newly built Globe Playhouse.

  • Features Period Costumes
  • Additional Features Stage Combat
  • Duration 90 minutes
  • Cautions
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

“[A] brilliant and hilarious zombies-meet-Shakespeare epic... MUST SEE.” – Saint Paul Pioneer Press

“John Heimbuch's script is witty, clever, peppered with self-referential humor and wonderful wordplay on some of the Bard's best lines.” – Brian Leehan, Minneapolis Star Tribune

“Both Shakespeare and horror nerds will enjoy this brilliant Elizabethan production of bloody proportions, taking zombies into new and exciting terrain.” – Ben Smith, Fangoria Magazine

“[A] brilliant and hilarious zombies-meet-Shakespeare epic... If you know Shakespeare, you'll be roaring as the show lampoons everything about the Bard and ludicrously reuses famous lines while the heroes battle invading zombies... MUST SEE.” – Renee Valois, Saint Paul Pioneer Press


Music

  • Musical Style N/A (Not a musical)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £55 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

Scripts

Available Formats:

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Authors

John Heimbuch

John Heimbuch is the Artistic Director of Walking Shadow Theatre Company in Minneapolis.

His original full-length plays include William Shakespeare's Land of the Dead, A Midwinter Night’s Revel, The Transdimensional Couriers Union, S. Gunter Klaus and the Story Before, The Kin ...

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