You're Bard review: Five reasons why local theatre in Yorkshire must be supported as I watched Shakespeare’s Macbeth - but with a twist

As I sat in my seat at the Theatre Royal in Wakefield on Tuesday, I felt excited and nervous.

I don’t normally feel nervous before watching a show, after all I’m not the one who is performing, but this was no ordinary show.

You’re Bard is a lot of Shakespeare - but with a twist.

We were first greeted by the compere, Rachael, who introduced us to four actors who had learned all of the lines from four different Shakespeare plays: Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Midsummer Night’s Dream and Hamlet.

To my surprise, it was us, the audience, who got to decide at random which show we were watching and which actors were playing which roles. That night we picked Macbeth.

Murray was Macbeth; Beth was First Witch, Lady Macbeth, Fleance and Porter; Joe was Third Witch, Ross, Macduff and Murder; Nathan was Second Witch, Duncan, Malcolm, Banquo and Lennox.

We were also asked to pick five themes for each act of the play. We went with Barbie, Oppenheimer, Crufts, The Lord of the Rings and Scooby Doo.

A selection of audience members were also given a laminated poster of Britney Spears and were told to hold it in the air at various points of the show and shake it loudly. With each ‘shake up’ Rachael would call out a genre suggested by the audience for one of the actors to improvise on.

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My favourite genres of the evening were when Beth pretended to be a snake, Joe recited his Shakespeare lines as the King of Rock n Roll and when the four actors had to play their roles whilst dancing to Psy’s ‘Gangnam Style’. They were brilliant - I couldn’t stop laughing.

The entire concept of the show fascinated me; theatre is already an enlightening experience and the elements to this show made it immersive for the audience, it was almost as if we were the producers of the show.

I haven’t been involved in the theatre since high school and for that reason, I did feel nervous at times when audience members were asked to go on stage and read lines. I think this was mainly because I didn’t know what to expect. If I were to see the show again, I would be prepared.

Throughout the show I was reminded how vital local and regional theatre is and it must be supported for these reasons.

Five reasons why it is important to support local and regional theatre

First reason - Escapism

I will never forget the feeling we all had during the height of the pandemic; we couldn’t go anywhere, meet anyone or travel. We were trapped within the confines of our house or flat.

Before the first lockdown in 2020, I saw Waitress: The Musical in London; it was the first time seeing a show in a very long time. It was that day I decided to go to the theatre more.

Once the world began to settle in 2022 I decided that life is too precious not to do the things you love. For me that is theatre; it provides the perfect escapism.

I spoke to one of the actors in the show, Beth Organ, who has been working in the industry for 11 years, five of which doing improv theatre.

She spoke about the struggles the industry has faced since Covid.

“There’s no doubt that Covid and now the cost of living crisis have absolutely been a double whammy for the industry,” Beth said.

“It’s scary that it’s becoming seen as an elite space where only wealthy people can access it.

“The arts are a huge part of self expression, confidence building, culture, it’s a huge part of how we form communities and how we understand ourselves in each other. We don’t do this for money, we do this for the love of it.

“We all keep making theatre even if it means we have beans on toast for every meal because we understand its value. We just need the people in power to understand its value as well.”

Second reason - Inclusivity

You’re Bard, in particular, has been produced with the intention of welcoming everyone.

Shakespeare plays are normally long and very quiet so people with neurodiversities and disabilities may have felt excluded, Ms Organ said.

“I think what we offer is a Shakespeare play where we welcome audience comments and interruptions,” she said.

“We are not worried if people need to leave and come back, that won’t disrupt the play at all because it’s so chaotic and we’re used to having audience interactions.

“It’s very slappy so it will keep people’s attention and from an accessibility point of view we keep the house lights on which means that people can come and go and feel more safe in the space, it’s not a dark space.

“That’s why I really think this show lends itself so well to being an accessible version of a Shakespeare show while also being an absolute riot of a night out.”

Third reason - Confidence boost

The intimate sizes of local and regional theatre mean that the audience can feel included and when there are plenty of interactions between people on stage and people in the seats, it can certainly boost your confidence.

You’re Bard provides the perfect opportunity to hone your creative skills; when you pick the funniest genre or the most outrageous theme for the play, you get the satisfaction of making the show great.

Fourth reason - West End

Regional theatre is also vital for any West End show.

I spoke with You’re Bard producer, Joe Hackett, who told me that without regional theatres the West End couldn’t exist.

“It’s a really interconnected network,” he said.

“What’s really important in those regional theatres is bringing diverse, interesting, different programming through so that you can provide something for everybody.”

Fifth reason - Accessibility

People may not have the money to travel down to London to see a West End show. So it’s important to have access to regional and local theatre productions.

You’re Bard gets a five star rating from The Yorkshire Post and I would definitely see it again.