Shakespeare’s daughter accused

English playwright Peter Whelan searched through the pages of history to relate the fascinating tale of Susanna Hall in his play The Herbal Bed.
The story is based on the 1613 trial of William Shakespeare’s eldest daughter who was accused of adultery and having a venereal disease.
The Herbal Bed is about living in a world where you aren’t free to pursue your own desires and be true to yourself.  It is a world that is strict, ordered, and where the boundaries are clear-cut, rigid and not remotely flexible, said director Sarah Giles.
To impose these kinds of restrictions on people seems to be completely contrary to human nature.  We are all individuals, who have different needs, different aspirations and different perspectives and experiences.  To lock people down and restrict them only brings misery, frustration and chaos.
The set and costumes have been designed by Renee Mulder, who has concocted a clear and simple re-imagining of 1613 that reflects the 17th century as well as today.
We wanted to highlight the similarities of these two worlds, showing how little has changed, Giles said.
The design concept is very sparse, simple and exposed -” which we believe reflects the world in which these events take place.
Opening at the New Theatre on Thursday 19 March, the play stars recent NIDA graduates Renee Mulder, Matthew Tunchon and Joshua Emanuel, who aim to bring this touching story to life in a raw theatrical manner.
The characters in this play are driven to absolute extremes, and each character’s arc is a huge challenge for a performer, Giles said.
Through pushing these extremes I’m hoping to uncover that you can never really know what a person will do or say -” and that human nature is anything but predictable.

info: The Herbal Bed runs until Saturday 11 April at the New Theatre. Tickets start at $22. Bookings on 1300 306 776 or visit mca-tix.com.au.