If you enjoy Shakespeare you’ll very much enjoy watching the Three Inch Fools, in fact I defy you not to anyway! The Three Inch Fools, a small touring company, have been travelling the country for nearly seven years bringing enjoyment to all they perform to. Witty, imaginative, full of energy, (boundless in fact!) and very watchable. Over a hundred performances for this year starting at the end of May and carrying on until 18 September from Inverness to Penzance and so many places in between performing either Romeo and Juliet or The Merry Wives of Windsor.
We were lucky enough to get tickets for last night’s performance at Constable Burton Hall near Leyburn in Wensleydale. The stage was set on the beautiful lawn there, with the perfect back drop of the garden and the house behind us watching over proceedings too. We went armed with chairs, wine, nibbles, plenty of layers, blankets and for me, as always with outdoor events you can’t be too careful, a hot bottle! Seven o’clock prompt and we were off, The Merry Wives of Windsor, so very, very funny and how they knew who was who, there were only five of them playing, I really have no idea. It was just brilliant, a wonder to watch. The evening had started off as a fine night but after the interval a stunning rainbow was the precursor to the rain, a lot of rain, but no matter we were well prepared and the players just carried on as if it was the perfect evening!
A little bit of information found in their programme about the late 1500’s. When there was plague about the theatres were shut, as it has been for the arts this last year. To keep playing theatre companies started touring out and about in the countryside away from major cities. If they were found to have been to a place with high infection rates they were turned away. Our little troupe were unable to continue though as you know and are just glad to be back doing what they love best performing in front of a live audience and we loved it too.
To find out more about the Three Inch Fools and where they have still to tour please do have a look on their website.
Written By Nadine Bell