Contemporary Clowning Projects

Only Fools, No Horses

Written by Sarah Woods in collaboration with Contemporary Clowning Projects

From an original concept by Angela De Castro

Directed by John Wright

only fools (no horses) explores the world of Shakespeare and the roles of his fools. Feste (Twelfth Night), Touchstone (As You Like It) and Lear’s Fool (King Lear) are trapped in Limbo with only the thoughts and memories of their plays. It’s a cold and comfortless place.

They pass the time by tormenting and entertaining each other. Occasionally one of them is called because their play is being performed, but these experiences rarely make them feel better. The longer they are in Limbo, the worse it gets. If only someone could write a play in which they could all escape or die.

But who could do this? Could any of them be trusted?

As a foreigner living in the UK, Angela de Castro used to feel intimidated by Shakespeare’s work, not only by the language barrier but by the whole mystique of the ‘national treasure’ the Shakespeare represents. Like Angela de Castro, many other people, foreigner or not, feel excluded from these wonderful stories and characters which still have much to say to us today.

Through the hearts of Shakespeare’s fools, this production breaks down barriers to Shakespeare so we can more easily understand the human condition that he wrote about so well.

Only Fools, No Horses will be touring as a full length piece of middle scale theatre in Spring 2006.

“Hopelessly brilliant at being inept”

West End Review, London

“Prepare to be entertained. One blink and you are in danger of missing something ludicrously funny.”

The Voice

“a genius clown who is like Buster Keaton, holding that beautiful balance between complete and utter fragility and complete power.”

Due South Magazine

“The full metaphysical force of clowning at the highest level”

The Scotsman (Angela De Castro in Snow Show)

Only fools, no horses
Contemporary Clowning Projects
Photo: Hugo Glendinning