Welcome all,

 

Thank you for your interest in The Emperor of the  moon! This is a particularly unusual play to produce. It is a classical play, filled with beautiful language and familiar characters, but it is also a sci-fi-esque romp peppered with moments of shocking  relevance. 

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It's this blend of modern and traditional that really drew me to "The Emperor of the Moon."  It's undeniably fun, silly and bizarre- made even more so by being produced over zoom. But it also talks about very modern concerns. While there are no real antagonists, Doctor Baliardo is the main "problem" as he believes something truly bizarre- that there is life on the moon. The other characters struggle to ​understand and love him, despite their contrasting beliefs. Its difficult not to relate this to current events. Increasingly we are unable to understand why others think the way they do- and yet we struggle to find a way to care for them anyway. It's been fascinating to work on text that is almost 400 years old and still dealing with this central concern. 

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However, it is still a comedy!   We hope you approach it with the brief and light that we do,  it's been a real joy to rediscover this amazing text and to adapt it to a new era. 

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Best, 

Holly Payne-Strange