As the first play to be staged in St John’s College Chapel, Measure for Measure presents Shakespeare’s well-loved dark comedy in a new space. Exploring morality, justice and the complexities of human relationships, the Lady Margaret Players delve into the striking hypocrisies of the powerful in this adaptation.

When I was speaking with director Jay Palombella and assistant director Zach Foster, the joy they had found within the rehearsal process was palpable. Jay described working with the cast and production team as “enlightening,” “collaborative,” and “diverse”. This was especially true when having to deal with a larger cast than expected of Shakespeare productions (around 26, to be precise) and having important conversations around the play’s problematic, misogynistic representations. Rehearsals have enjoyed a longer than usual process, being already five weeks in, which has allowed the cast and crew to “go through the script in detail and stage a lot of rehearsals around character exercises, especially in the first few weeks,” Zach adds. Some of the dramaturgical techniques used in rehearsals have been inspired by German director Thomas Ostermeier, focusing on character exercises and a deep reading of scripts to uncover “the dominating circumstance” that drives a character to a certain action. This was accompanied by directorial techniques from Peter Brook and Jerzy Grotowski, emphasising the cast’s ability to experiment with speech and physicality rather than relying on set or props.

“The pair remain passionate about its relevant themes in society today”

Jay’s love for Shakespeare is clear: “Always brilliant, beautiful and delicately crafted,” he exclaims. Jay recalls the words of academic Emma Smith who speaks of Measure for Measure as having one face towards comedy and one to tragedy. “I think that’s what I liked most about it, the ambiguity that it gives. There’s also not that many interesting productions of the play happening right now, that push the boundaries, and that’s what we want to do. We have some whacky plans, both musically and with the sheer size of the cast.” The pair also remain passionate about its relevant themes in society today, playing with the role of the law and surveillance alongside ethics. Jay is candid about the difficulties of balancing comedic aspects of the production alongside darker, political ideas. Both praise producer Edie Carter, who pitched the play initially, and St John’s chaplain, Rev Graham Dunn (a former dramatist himself), who have been highly supportive throughout the process.

Edie Carter conversed with me over email about her experience in Measure for Measure’s production so far, calling it “unique and rewarding”. She recalls “hilarious correspondence” with the Chaplain “regarding the theological propriety of fake blood and a mock severed head in the chapel”. Overall, there is a real sense of enjoyment from all those involved. “It has been such a joy to be a part of the project and the play promises to bring one of Shakespeare’s ‘problem plays’ to an incredibly exciting new space,” in the words of Edie.

Though much of the play’s content speaks to modern audiences, this production is careful to not make Shakespeare become ‘too relevant’ to the 21st Century. “Audiences are far more intelligent and can understand something that may not be directly applicable to them now,” Jay tells me, not wanting to be too ‘on-the-nose’ with this adaptation. Part of this involves not constraining the play to a specific period, but rather one that is “not labelled, set in a liminary age that feels removed.” What remains more important, Jay clarifies, is for the audience to immerse themselves in the experience of the play and take in its words rather than worrying about trying to figure out its historical placement. He states that the play is complex, especially in its characterisation and requires actors to uncover a “Janus form of acting” as “everyone in the play is playing someone else at some point”.

“There is a real sense of enjoyment from all those involved”

The play’s staging plans sound creative and unique, hopefully utilising the altar and organ loft. The set will also have a raised section, allowing for flexibility in the actors’ movement. Zach believes that “the way the audience sees the play will intrinsically be shaped by the use of the chapel,” as he recalls the production team going to Evensong in St John’s to get a real sense of the drama that its space could cultivate. Yet Jay is keen to “not give too much away,” preserving an element of dramatic reveal and surprise.

When asked what they would like audiences to take away from this production, both Jay and Zach were not specific. This was not by any means because of their lack of directorial vision, but rather through taking an audience guided approach. Overall, Jay wishes for audiences to be “moved in some way, leaving in a thinking state”. “They shouldn’t feel something overly pressing or even have a clear sense of the play’s allegory and meaning” – “a dissonance,” Zach thoughtfully adds. Though one thing they were adamant about was their intention for the audience to immerse themselves within the play’s world, hoping that they gain an “appreciation of our joy of working with such a great cast and extraordinarily talented actors”.

Measure for Measure comes to St John’s Chapel from Monday 9th-Thursday 12th March.