The Comedy of Errors (more or less) at Shakespeare North Playhouse

Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor

Book now

The Comedy of Errors (more or less)

3-25 March 2023

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

The Comedy of Error at Shakespeare North Playhouse
Image courtesy of Patch Dolan.
Book now

Shakespeare North Playhouse is pleased to mark the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s First Folio with a lively new adaptation of The Comedy of Errors (more or less), a co-production with the Stephen Joseph Theatre.

The First Folio is the first published collection of Shakespeare’s plays. Collated and assembled in 1623, seven years after his death, the First Folio is hugely important – as without it, many of Shakespeare’s most celebrated works would never have survived. Now, four centuries on from its publishing, Shakespeare North Playhouse celebrates the First Folio by bringing a new translation of Shakespeare’s most revered farce, The Comedy of Errors to the stage.

The perfect blend of mistaken identity and theatrical slapstick alongside some banging musical numbers.

Taking place in the 1980s – an era of big hair, huge phones and even larger shoulder pads – The Comedy of Errors (more or less) promises the perfect Shakespearean blend of mistaken identity and theatrical slapstick alongside some banging musical numbers.

Take one bonkers day at the coast, two rival states and two sets of mismatched twins and you have the basis of Shakespeare North’s production of Comedy of Errors.

When an actor from Lancashire arrives in a Yorkshire seaside town to perform his ‘magnificent’ one-man show, he is without an audience – as everybody has already booked tickets to watch a Talent Show across town starring the twin brother he has never met. Meanwhile, over on the other side, his twin brother is banking on winning the talent show to pay off all his debts and buy his wife the gold chain he promised her…

Packed with twists and turns, chaos and anarchy.

Packed with twists and turns, chaos and anarchy, the narrative plays out: will the twins ever discover each other? Will they find out how they became separated? And more importantly, will either of their shows make it to the stage?

Following the run at Shakespeare North Playhouse, Comedy of Errors (more or less) plays at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough from 30 March to 15 April 2023.

Where to go near The Comedy of Errors (more or less) at Shakespeare North Playhouse

Family 1
Liverpool
Park
Knowsley Safari Park

Have a wild adventure at the Knowsley Safari Park, and get up close to lions, rhinos, camels and more from the comfort of your car.

Knowsley
Tourist Attraction
Knowsley Hall

Situated on a private walled estate, Knowsley Hall has been in The Earl of Derby’s family for over 600 years and is usually reserved exclusively for private events and filming.

Alexandra Park, St. Helens

The 1960’s, grade II listed Alexandra Park is the former home of Pilkingtons Glass Head Quarters in St. Helens. 

St. Helens
Dream
at St Helens

Dream is a 20 metre high sculpture located on the former site of Sutton Manor Colliery in St Helens, designed by world-renowned and award-winning artist, Jaume Plensa.

library
Shop
The Reader, Calderstones Park

The Reader brings people together through a shared love of literature and their home is in the beautiful Calderstones Park in Liverpool.

family 3
Liverpool
Imagine That

Imagine That is a children’s play centre in Liverpool, with art, science and imagination zones to encourage creative fun and free play.

What's on: Theatre

A large mechanical puppet controlled by multiple people. Encounter Festival in Preston
FestivalsLancashire
Encounter Festival in Preston

Expect a jam-packed day of outdoor performance, live music, family fun – plus Preston’s iconic Torchlight Procession and fireworks finale.

Free entry
FLIGHT at Aviva Studios
TheatreCity Centre
FLIGHT at Aviva Studios

Happening in absolute darkness inside a 40ft shipping container, FLIGHT invites you to board a commercial airliner – and take two possible journeys.

From £10.00

Culture Guides

Detail of an abstract sculpture, with burned materials and rusty chicken wire at the centre, with rusted metal bars bent around it.
Exhibitions in the North

Chocolate fountains, beautiful batiks and medieval marginalia - this month's supersized Exhibitions Guide has it all.

Literature Events in the North

The autumn leaves might be falling already, but the harvest is plentiful as the live literature scene gets back into the swing of things after a summer break...

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

This season’s theatre is gloriously eclectic: from radical cabaret and reinvented classics to new musicals and boundary-pushing performance.

Cinema in the North

This month we recommend a season of Film noir, cult Australian movies and a huge celebration of DIY community cinema.