Come You Spirits - The Heart of Shakespeare.
Founded in 2022, Come You Spirits Theatre is a critically acclaimed theatre troupe delivery the magic of Shakespeare to audiences across the globe. With 7 full-scale shows in their repertoire a full company of 10 actors, 1 sound artist - this work is site specific and electric. The immersive and highly physical style and connection to nature means Shakespeare is delivered straight to the heart - so you get it.
The company is a registered Charity and all donations are 100% Tax Deductible. Funds raised go towards reaching low socio-economic communities and students across Australia. They have a robust education program taking the plays, workshops and deep dive analysis into Secondary Schools reaching thousands of students every year.
“This work has been brilliantly devised by the company, and while they may be few in number, they have skill and commitment to Shakespeare in utter abundance.” - Laura Heuston, Theatre Travels
"The moonlight performance was just magic. The costuming and acting were brilliant and the acoustics were extraordinary. The community can be very grateful to have such stunning cultural experiences.” - Commendation in NSW Parliament with a Community Recognition Statement by MP Tim James
"More-than-Shakespeare: Healing through theatre and landscape. Come You Spirits combines ancient healing modalities, sacred sites and Shakespeare’s text in magical ways. Just like early modern theatre troupes, they transport Shakespeare’s plays to diverse settings through harnessing the power of language and physicality. In their case, however, they include one more key ingredient - spiritual energy. From the Southern Swan tall ship sailing Sydney Harbour, to outdoor amphitheatres nestled in the landscape, their adaptations bring diverse environments to life and awaken Shakespeare’s words within the audience’s hearts and minds. As a Shakespeare practitioner myself, I particularly marvel at the way in which they can retell Shakespeare’s stories with only four actors yet amplify the plays’ action, connections felt experience of the living world. Their beautiful work is a tribute to Jo and Charlie’s passion and creativity and a one-of-a-kind experience."
Dr Alys Daroy, Lecturer in English and Theatre at Murdoch University and Company Director of Shakespeare South
"Come You Spirits are a theatre company with a difference. Not only do they offer strong, sharp performances of Shakespeare’s works (in well-paced productions), but they also engage uniquely with the space around them, and offer audiences an experience designed to enhance their connection to nature and wellbeing. They are making innovative steps in ecological or environmental theatre, and their site-specific work is spectacular. They are also generous practitioners who were much valued participants at our recent ‘Ecological Shakespeare in Performance’ conference at James Cook University.” - Dr Claire Hansen, Lecturer in English at the Australian National University
"Come You Spirits put the rhythms of Shakespeare's language in tune with the frequencies of nature and the elements, breathing new life into words and characters with which we have become too familiar. Enthralled by these performers in a production pared back to bare essentials, I found myself finding Shakespeare made new again as if by alchemy.”
- Professor Laurie Johnson, QLD university, President, Australian and New Zealand Shakespeare Association
"Congratulations! What a wonderful innovation. I love what you are doing - you are really bringing Shakespeare to the people.” Eva Gold, Executive Officer, English Teachers Association NSW
As part of our program for the 2023 St Albans Folk Festival, "A Midsummers Night Dream" by "Come you Spirits", proved to be one of the real highlights. The troupe were engaging, talented and succeeded in bringing Shakespeare to life in ways that made the story so approachable to the entire audience, whether they knew Shakespeare or not. I have many years experience in many forms of theatre and the staging was creative and magical. With the restrictions that come from mounting a production on the open sands of a river, the lighting and sound worked brilliantly. The use of the space by the actors was inspired (I particularly enjoyed the building of the wall). Around 200 people attended the performance and were mesmerised for the entire time. Dealing with Jo and the rest of the "Troupe/Players" was a pleasure and effortless. I can not recommend "Come You Spirits" more highly, together with our Welcome To Country and Smoking Ceremony, this was one of the best parts of the festival. The feedback from audiences was glowing and the smiles of delight on the faces of those lucky enough to attend still present days later.St Albans Folk Festival would be more than happy to welcome "Come you Spirits" back for many years to come.
For a brief moment in time the river bank was thus -
"I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,
Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,
Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,
With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine:
There sleeps Titania sometime of the night,
Lulled in these flowers with dances and delight.”
- Anthony Woolcott, St Albans Festival Director
“Come you Spirits will take you to a place just between the human and the ethereal, to demonstrate just how close we are through language and our connection to the natural world. Utterly indistinguishable from magic.” - Theatre Travels
"This is next-level experiential theatre. One of the best theatrical and outdoor adventure experiences you can possibly have in this or any other city." - City Hub
“⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Shakespeare but not as you know it...The troupe had done the work for us, so all we needed to do was show up. Nourishment for the eyes, ears, nose and tongue and offered a weight off the heart and kinship with your fellow human beings.” - Arts Hub
“Minimalized cast, delivers maximized SHAKESPEARE. Highly Recommended. Magnificently performed by 4 outstanding actors.” - Sydney Arts Guide
“An experience that spiritually rejuvenates while also entertaining."- Sydney Scoop
“The performers are wonderful storytellers, utilising the energy of the audience and environment to provide a connection to language and the powerful soundscape is designed to be a whole-body experience. I found the performances to be spiritual and engaging. I was impressed with the passion and energy of the performances and completely mesmerised by the experience.”- Stage Whispers
