Playing to the Crowd

Following the sell-out success of ‘Hedda’ and its extensive tour of beautiful historic houses in 2014 (Time Out Top 10 Show), Dr Johnson’s House is delighted to announce the return of multi-media theatre company Palimpsest, with a specially commissioned piece of theatre written by the acclaimed actress Katherine Tozer and directed by the award-winning Patrick Sandford.

‘Playing to the Crowd’ finds Dr Johnson in his Gough Square Withdrawing Room as, fresh from the success of his Dictionary, he prepares to face his next project: a critical collection of Shakespeare’s plays. Johnson’s rigorous intellectual approach is quickly put to the test when he is joined by his former pupil and celebrated actor, David Garrick, and the respected authoress, Charlotte Lennox. These luminaries gather to discuss the versions of ‘King Lear’ flying around London in the 1750s, as Dr Johnson seeks to set the record straight.

Performed in the very room in which it is set, ‘Playing to the Crowd’ explores themes of authorship and performance and unearths the combustible relationship between the greatest thinker and the greatest actor of the Age of Enlightenment.

Palimpsest are collectively excited to explore the distinction between live theatre, recorded film, photography and digital space to discover how these elements may illuminate each other. The variety of digital material which accompanied ‘Hedda’ was recently described by Lyn Gardner (The Guardian) as “an example of how digital media draws in theatre audiences in ingenious ways”, and ‘Playing to the Crowd’ will continue Palimpsest’s unique take on original texts with a wealth of beautiful online supporting material that can be explored by the audience member in the days that lead up to and follow the live performance. ‘The Muse’, Palimpsest’s most recent production in March 2015, was staged to great acclaim at Leighton House Museum and praised by Philip Fisher (British Theatre Guide) for being “far more entertainment than a mere play.”

Accompanies the exhibition 'Shakespeare in the 18th century: Johnson, Garrick and friends' (10 August - 28 November) at Dr Johnson's House, celebrating the 250th anniversary of Johnson's influential critical collection of Shakespeare's plays.