"I have a speech of fire, that fain would blaze..."
-Laertes, Hamlet, Act 4 Scene 7
"Is there no play
To ease the anguish of a torturing hour?"
– A Midsummer Night’s Dream
February 27, 2021
Missing theatre?
You can now watch The Orderly from home!
Although the live theatre world has shut down for the time being, many theatre companies are finding ways to reach audiences through filmed productions of their current and past shows.
We have just released the video of our 2019 production of Michael Downey’s solo play The Orderly, and we are asking viewers to support frontline workers, with links to suggested charities below.
Description:
In The Orderly, raspy-voiced Peter shares his passion for Anglo-Saxon historical reenacting as an escape from his normal life as an orderly in a New Zealand hospital. Through the story of the Battle of Maldon, juxtaposed against the everyday struggles of daily life in a hospital, Peter uses history, literature, and the imagination to enrich life in a thankless job, and to make sense of loss.
The Orderly is a poignant comedy, full of storytelling and character switches, based on Michael Downey’s experience as a hospital orderly and the people he met there. The Orderly is part of our ongoing performance repertoire, meant for touring and remounting in various locations, but for now it’s free to watch from home!
More about The Orderly: https://www.speechoffire.org/repertoire-the-orderly
The Orderly, by Michael Downey (2019)
[CLICK CC FOR CAPTIONS]
PLEASE SUPPORT FRONTLINE WORKERS
In lieu of purchasing a ticket for this show, please consider giving to a charity that supports frontline workers.
A helpful list of charities supporting medical efforts:
https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2020/health/coronavirus-how-to-help/#medical-efforts
(Scroll up or down for other categories of covid-related charities as well)
Another helpful list: https://time.com/5817906/coronavirus-help/
Other ways to support frontline/essential workers:
https://www.realsimple.com/work-life/life-strategies/support-essential-workers-coronavirus
https://www.averagesocialite.com/average-socialite/2020/4/7/tip-how-to-help-the-frontline-workers
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Enjoying Speech of Fire’s work? Support us here: https://www.speechoffire.org/support ——————————————————————————————————————
INTRODUCING
SPEECH OF FIRE
Photo by Robert Michael Evans.
Lauren Ash-Morgan and Michael Downey in
Shakespeare's Love and Despair: Macbeth, Seoul Shakespeare Company
Speech of Fire is proud to be a member of The Shakespeare Theatre Association (STA).
For more information visit www.stahome.org.
STA was established to provide a forum for the artistic, managerial, educational leadership for theatres primarily involved with the production of the works of William Shakespeare; to discuss issues and methods of work, resources, and information; and to act as an advocate for Shakespearean productions and training.