Illyria has a deservedly unparalleled reputation for the clarity and authenticity of its unique Shakespearean style.
Illyria achieves the seemingly impossible by performing each play in the open-air, uncut and with only five actors, a handful of props and no scenery. We believe this is exactly how Shakespeare’s own company toured, combining artistic integrity with financial efficiency. We know of no other theatre company performing Shakespeare which currently works to this model.
Illyria's productions are slick, physical and imaginative in execution. They are played with characteristic briskness - Shakespeare was, after all, unequivocal about how long his plays take to perform. Each is inspired by performance techniques of Elizabethan touring troupes such as cross-gender casting, live music and song, an inclusion of the audience in the proceedings, contemporary references and a robustness of style.
Illyria avoids the gimmick of all-male casting. It is unnecessary to ignore half the available talent just to put men in dresses. And in any case sometimes it is the women who should wear the trousers.
Among the UK open-air touring theatre companies only Illyria's artistic director has published articles on Shakespearean verse-speaking.
