Shakespeare between the Sheets

Edward Derbyshire is a teacher, actor, performer, translator and director based in Cheltenham, where he has taught in a wide variety of schools throughout his career. He started the Gloucestershire Youth Players, the only young company in the UK that performs solely Shakespeare, in 2005; he also directed the Dramestics Theatre Company, which brought theatre directly into people’s homes and spaces, and, indeed, anywhere. Edward principally teaches piano, drama, Chinese and Latin; he performs partly to keep learning, partly to keep himself terrified, and partly out of respect towards those whom he directs and asks to do the same.

On 11th January, 2022, Edward performed Part 1 of a trilogy of piano music and poetry recitals, ‘Father & Son’, followed by Part 2 on 25th February, and Part 3 on 1st April, spanning over 70 different poems, monologues and pieces of music. A collection of his father’s and his poetry, entitled, ‘From Age to Age’, can be ordered in pamphlet form. Copies are available for a donation. Edward has also performed his poetry and piano pieces to the residents of care homes in Cheltenham, and to the Cheltenham Macular Society. He can be booked for poetry and piano performances via shakespearesheets@gmail.com .

This focus on poetry and music in live performance led to Edward’s latest solo project: ‘Shakespeare between the Sheets’, which takes as its premise either a single character from the plays (such as Bottom, Malvolio, Benedick, the Macbeths, or Hamlet), or an amalgam of soliloquies chosen for their story arc, and interweaves these with live piano music that also tells the story.