A speculative, ‘what-if’ performance, Slade Wolfe Enterprise’s After Shakespeare explores the backstories of Henry V, Hamlet, Portia, and Lady Macbeth. Whilst some elements are canonical, some question the characters’ lives outside of Shakespeare’s imagination.
By embodying a range of characters, Lexi Wolfe allows audiences to consider the longevity of Shakespeare’s legacy — honour, ambition, autonomy and love are all themes that crop up time and time again, as they do in our own lives today. Be it Henry V proclaiming his hatred for the French and desire for honour in war or Portia’s desire for autonomy, many of the themes in this performance feel both fitting for Shakespeare’s 17th century audience, and a shocking reckoning of themes we face today.
All while lacking a wow factor that other shows encourage, this is an elegant and classic show. Wolfe’s solo performance is undoubtedly impressive — in just one hour, playing four separate characters is incredible. Her performance is captivating, and audiences are held spellbound throughout. The use of costumes is also impressive. Wolfe embodies each character, all whilst keeping the audience’s attention as she hid behind an ornate screen to change.
After Shakespeare acts as a clear homage to one of England’s most famous writers, and the audience clearly appreciated this. Whilst I have seen performances that reckon with his characters more innovatively, Slade Wolfe Enterprise’s interpretation feels true to life and accessible to audiences that may not be incredibly well-versed in Shakespeare’s works. I particularly enjoyed Wolfe’s interpretation of female characters, because she frames them as having far more agency than the original texts do. Most prolific in this is Lady Macbeth — this interpretation framed her as still being in love with her first husband, Gille Coemgáin. When she discovers that Macbeth killed him, the rage and disgust she feels is strong and a powerful, feminist note to end the show on. Combined with her love for her son, audiences feel involved in her life and can empathise with her.
This performance is captivating, and whilst it could have been more dramatic at times, Wolfe does a stunning job at portraying four very different characters.
After Shakespeare ran from 8 to 28 August at Annexe at theSpace at Symposium Hall.
Image by Slade Wolfe Enterprise, provided to The Student for press use.
