Theatre Practice

A Two Woman Hamlet, Touring Production, 2025-27

Based on an original concept by Mara Sherman, Nicola Collett, and Hannah Sweet, A Two Woman Hamlet takes Shakespeare’s infamous tragedy, cuts the running time to 60 minutes, and hands all the roles over to just two actresses (and, in our case, a rabbit glove puppet named Rosencarrots).

Performances so far include:

  • Lakeside Theatre Homegrown Studio Season, March 2025
  • Camden Fringe (Shakefest at the Old Red Lion), August 2025
  • Colchester Fringe, October 2025
  • University of Bristol, Wickham Theatre, December 2025
  • Lakeside Theatre Mainstage, April 2026
  • Camden Fringe (Shakefest at the Old Red Lion), August 2026
  • Shea’s Smith Theatre, Buffalo, New York, April 2027

Cast:

Deanna Strasse

Sharmila Peake

Lolly Taylor

Movement Direction by Marina Cusí

Deanna Strasse as the Ghost of Old Hamlet, lying face down on the floor and reaching one hand out in anguish
Deanna Strasse as the Ghost of Old Hamlet. Photo courtesy of Jonathan Dadds and Colchester Fringe
Sharmila Peake as Hamlet, kneeling and looking intently off camera
Sharmila Peake as Hamlet. Photo courtesy of Jonathan Dadds and Colchester Fringe
Lolly Taylor as Claudius
Lolly Taylor as Claudius. Photo courtesy of Sharmila Peake
Lolly Taylor as Guildenstern, with a rabbit glove puppet on her hand, playing Rosencrantz
Lolly Taylor as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Photo courtesy of Sharmila Peake
Deanna Strasse as Ophelia and Sharmila Peake as Laertes in performance at the Lakeside Theatre Studio
Deanna Strasse as Ophelia (L) and Sharmila Peake as Laertes (R). Photo courtesy of Elena Ikonomu
Sharmila Peake as Hamlet and Deanna Strasse as Horatio, in an intimate moment after the appearance of the ghost
Sharmila Peake as Hamlet and Deanna Strasse as Horatio. Photo courtesy of the Lakeside Theatre and Elena Ikonomou
Figure 1 (Sharmila) is a South Asian woman dressed in black trousers and a white top, with a brown silky dressing gown over her shoulders. She holds up a black necktie in front of her, and looks as if she's speaking to it. Figure 2 (Deanna) is a white woman with brown hair, wearing black trousers, a white top, and a golden crown. She stands behind Sharmila with her hands on her shoulders, and she is also looking toward the black necktie.
Sharmila Peake and Deanna Strasse as Hamlet, Gertrude, and Claudius. Credit: Elene Ikonomou for the Lakeside Theatre

The Witch of Edmonton, Performers College, May 2026

In Spring 2026, I directed a student production Thomas Dekker, William Rowley, and John Ford’s true-crime tragicomedy The Witch of Edmonton for Performers College second-year BA Acting student in Essex.

Richard II, Wivenhoe Open-Air Shakespeare, June-July 2026

In Summer 2026, I directed a production of Shakespeare’s Richard II for Wivenhoe Open-Air Shakespeare. This production was subsequently nominated for five North Essex Theatre Guild Awards: Best Actor (Martin Lucas, Richard II); Best Actress (Issy Toms-Whittle, Henry Bolingbroke); Best Supporting Actress (Angela Blacklaw, Duchess of York); The Timmens Award for Music (Nick White, Music Director); and The Doris Griffith Cup for Best Production.

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