ORIGINAL R&D CAST

Olivia Ridgeway-Moore ………………………………………………. Emily Gray

Benedict Masters…………………………………………………………… Ethan Lang

Beatrice Bellamy/Trent Nickelthwaite …………….. Lulu Frenett

Daniella Ridgeway-Moore………………………………..Amber Samuels

Michael Winters…………………………………………………….. James Murtagh

Lady Ridgeway/Sergeant Westmarsh…………….. Sally E Witts

“You’re all here to watch me die… and die I shall.” More (prologue)

More, or the Art of Revenge” is a new play written by Hull-Based playwright Jake A Smith, which adapts Shakespeare’s Othello, transposing the familiar themes of prejudice, jealousy and revenge into the modern world, whilst exploring misogyny, homophobia and gender roles against a back drop of military presence in the middle east.

A hugely topical twist on a classic tale, More incorporates Smith’s trademark meta-theatrical stylings, alongside a generous lashing of edgy and risque comedy in order to highlight the injustice of prejudice, as well of the effects of war upon the psyche of the soldier.

Although set largely in the middle east, More was written and is firmly rooted in Hull. Much like Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream presents Ancient Athens as a recognisable Elizabethan England, Smith presents his “Embassy” in a way steeped with Hull Culture. Employing elements of Pub culture, gig theatre, and club music, More is a love letter to the city in which it was written, as well as adoringly breathing fresh air into Shakespeare’s timeless tale, giving it new relevance in a time of worryingly rising prejudice.

Benedict Masters, your host for the evening, wants his revenge. His victims? General Olivia Moore – the first female general, her new wife Daniella, and her Lieutenant – Michael Winters. The play weaves and dips through Benedict’s mind games as he joyfully manipulated his peers to provide their own downfall in this joyfully dark and daringly cheeky take on Shakespeare’s Othello.

The Workshops

“I swear to you, her death will be performed.”

In October 2018, partnered with the University of Hull, two days of workshops were ran which involved students from the Drama Department exploring the play text and investigating the best methods for adapting Shakespeare to suit a modern audience.

The participents looked at the use of prologues in Shakespeares work, comparing and contrasting with prologues from more recent works, and the prologue from More. Through this exploration, they improvised around the More text, creating new work which informed later drafts of the script from writer Jake Smith.

A key element derived from these workshops was the exploration of language and poetry in Shakespeare, particularly the balance that must be struck when adapting his works between the modern day language and the antiquated text. Again, the work produced by the participants was crucial in the further development of the script.

In December 2018, a further two workshops were held, building on the work done with the Prologue. These workshops involved writer Jake Smith, Facilitators Sami Hindmarsh and Rebecca Sawdon, and saw the first involvement of actor Ethan Lang in the project.

​During these workshops Ethan filmed a promotional teaser in the role of Benedict. From this he was offered the role, becoming a key member of the creative team and a core part of the Thursday’s Children family.

#WeWantMore

“I want more, you want more, we all want more.”

#WeWantMore began as a promotional hashtag, growing to become the central tagline of the marketing for More, or the Art of Revenge. The focus of the script itself was influenced by the development of this campaign, as the narrative became even more focussed on the desires, often selfish, of the characters.

#WeWantMore is also the title of the promotional film made in partnership with September Avenue Films and starring Ethan Lang as Benedict Masters.

Search #WeWantMore on twitter to find more information on this campaign.