ABOUT
The One Fell Swoop Project was founded by Conor Baum on the anniversary of Shakespeare's birthday, in the midst of the first COVID-19 lockdown. What began as a weekly opportunity for a small group of Brighton-based professional actors to converge remotely and read the works of Shakespeare over Zoom gained overnight momentum and within two weeks, the group membership totalled over 130 members globally, with up to three play readings taking place each week.
In early summer of 2020, Joanna Rosenfeld initiated a conversation to pivot the project into outdoor Shakespeare performance, taking advantage of the lifted restrictions between the two lockdowns. As co-producers, Joanna and Conor launched the first Unlocked Festival - four weekends of 24 hour-rehearsed, fully costumed, script-in-hand performances, drawing on the body of actors who had taken part in the project online. All four weekends sold out, and after a further two week extension, the new iteration of The One Fell Swoop Project was born.
Since 2020, The One Fell Swoop Project has gone from strength to strength, playing host to some of the best professional actors from Brighton and further afield to create energetic, dynamic and feisty realisations of Shakespeare's plays in little more than 24 hours at a time. In 2022, Conor stepped back from directing in the outdoor festivals to focus on his work at Shakespeare's Globe. Joanna has helmed the project solo since 2022.
Since the project's inception, OFS have produced 20 online readings and 15 fully costumes and realised outdoor productions to date.
COMPANY
CONOR BAUM
Project Founder, Co-Producer, Director and Performer
As director: Macbeth and As You Like It (2020) and The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Winters Tale and The Tempest (2021) As designer: Troilus and Cressida and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2020) As performer: Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing (2020) Achilles in Troilus and Cressida (2020) Snug in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2020), Richard III in Richard III (2020), Richard II in Richard II (2021), Malvolio in Twelfth Night (2021), Horatio in Hamlet (2022).
JOANNA ROSENFELD
Festival Founder, Co-Producer, Director and Performer
As director: Much Ado About Nothing, Richard III, Troilus and Cressida and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2020), The Merchant of Venice, Richard II and Twelfth Night (2022), Julius Caesar, The Comedy of Errors and Hamlet (2022) As performer: Lady Macbeth in Macbeth (2020), Touchstone in As You Like It (2020), Hermione in The Winters Tale (2021), Antonio in The Tempest (2021).
THE PLAYERS
Company members 2020 - 2023
JOE APPLEBY
Luciana in The Comedy of Errors (2022)
BENJAMIN BAEZA
Troilus in Troilus and Cressida (2020), Frances Flute in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2020), Silvius in As You Like It, Ferdinand in The Tempest (2021), Adriana in The Comedy of Errors (2022)
SAMMIE BAILEY
Portia in Julius Caesar (2022)
ROSANNA BINI
Don Jon in Much Ado About Nothing (2020), Phoebe in As You Like It (2020), Paulina in The Winter’s Tale (2021), Maria in Twelfth Night (2021), Hamlet in Hamlet (2022)
SAM CARTWRIGHT
Claudio in Much Ado About Nothing (2020), Angus in Macbeth (2020) and Ajax in Troilus and Cressida (2020), Oliver in As You Like It (2020)
BENJAMIN DARLINGTON
Ross / Porter in Macbeth (2020), Patroclus in Troilus and Cressida (2020), Borachio in Much Ado About Nothing (2020), Sir Andrew Aguecheek in Twelfth Night (2021), Leontes in The Winter’s Tale (2021)
JULES CRAIG
Hector in Troilus and Cressida (2020), King Edward IV in Richard III (2020), Master Ford in The Merry Wives of Windsor (2021), Rosencrantz in Hamlet (2022), Cassius in Julius Caesar (2022)
SOPHIE DEARLOVE
Lady Elizabeth in Richard III (2020)
SEERCHÉ DEVERAUX
Antipholus of Ephesus in The Comedy of Errors (2022) and Marcellus / Player Queen in Hamlet (2022)
SHARON DRAIN
Banquo in Macbeth (2020), Mistress Ford in The Merry Wives of Windsor (2021), Antigonus in The Winter’s Tale (2021), Richard II in Richard II (2021), Mark Anthony in Julius Caesar (2022)
KATY ANN FRASER
Cressida in Troilus and Cressida (2020), Ariel in The Tempest (2021), Nerissa in The Merchant of Venice (2021), Dromio of Ephesus in The Comedy of Errors (2022), Casca in Julius Caesar (2022)
CHRIS GATES
Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2020), Conrade in Much Ado About Nothing (2020), Edmund in Richard II (2021), Old Gobbo in The Merchant of Venice (2021), Camillo in The Winter’s Tale (2021)
KIRSTY GEDDES
Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2020), Rosalind in As You Like it (2020), Hero in Much Ado About Nothing (2020) Brutus in Julius Caesar (2022), Laertes in Hamlet (2022)
ROSS GURNEY-RANDALL
Antonio in Much Ado About Nothing (2020), Duncan in Macbeth (2020), Falstaff in The Merry Wives of Windsor (2021), Gonzalo in The Tempest (2021), Abbess Emilia in The Comedy of Errors (2022)
DUNCAN HENDERSON
Leonato in Much Ado About Nothing (2020), Thersites in Troilus and Cressida (2020), Macbeth in Macbeth (2020), Egeus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2020), Claudius in Hamlet (2022)
ANDY HOGGARTH
Sir William Catesby in Richard III (2020), Polixenes in The Winter’s Tale (2021), Solanio/Tubal in The Merchant of Venice
LOGAN KADE
Osric in Hamlet (2022)
NATASHA KAFKA
Ariel in The Tempest (2021), Perdita/Mamillius in The Winter’s Tale (2021), Feste in Twelfth Night (2021), Flavius/Lucius in Julius Caesar (2022), Barnardo/Guildenstern in Hamlet (2022)
DEBORAH KEARNE
Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2020), Margaret in Much Ado About Nothing (2020), Mistress Page in The Merry Wives of Windsor (2021), Gertrude in Hamlet (2022), Brutus in Julius Caesar (2022)
GRACE LEEDER
Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing (2020), Witch in Macbeth (2020), Snout in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2020)
NIMMY MARCH
Shylock in The Merchant of Venice (2021), Prospero in The Tempest (2021), Polonius in Hamlet (2022)
CHRISTINE KEMPELL
Macduff in Macbeth (2020), Earl Rivers in Richard III (2020), Cassandra in Troilus and Cressida (2020), Mistress Quickly in The Merry Wives of Windsor (2021),
ALEX LOUISE
Duke of Aumerle in Richard II (2021), Lorenzo in The Merchant of Venice (2021), Antonio in Twelfth Night (2021), Calpurnia in Julius Caesar (2022)
JULIAN MCDOWELL
Decius Brutus/Varrus/Clitus in Julius Caesar (2022)
MILES MLAMBO
Archidamus/Florizel in The Winter’s Tale (2021), Bassanio in The Merchant of Venice (2021), Host/Slender in The Merry Wives of Windsor (2021)
RACHEL MULLOCK
Viola in Twelfth Night (2021), Portia in The Merchant of Venice (2021), Anne Page/Dr Caius/Pistol in The Merry Wives of Windsor (2021), Thomas Mowbray in Richard II, Hamlet in Hamlet (2022)
NICHOLAS QUIRKE
Sir Toby Belch in Twelfth Night (2021), Stephano in The Tempest (2021)
DAVID SAMSON
Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing (2020), Charles the Wrestler in As You Like It (2020), Sir Hugh Evans in The Merry Wives of Windsor (2021), Duke Orsino in Twelfth Night (2021), Caliban in The Tempest (2021)
PETA TAYLOR
Verges in Much Ado About Nothing (2020), Adam/Audrey in As You Like It (2020), Nick Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2020)
EDEN WOLF-NAUGHTON
Ophelia in Hamlet (2022)
SETH MORGAN
Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2020), Ulysses in Troilus and Cressida (2020), Don Pedro in Much Ado About Nothing (2020)
LEXI PICKETT
Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2020), Celia in As You Like It (2020), Olivia in Twelfth Night (2021), Antipholus of Syracuse in The Comedy of Errors (2022), Hamlet in Hamlet (2022)
JENNY ROWE
Dromio of Syracuse in The Comedy of Errors (2022)
EVA SAVAGE
Miranda in The Tempest (2021), Queen in Richard II (2021)
RICHARD WARING
Francisco/Player Lucianus in Hamlet (2022), Courtesan/Luce in The Comedy of Errors (2022)
Additional minor roles, instrumental arrangement and vocals were performed by
AVA DODSWORTH, IZZIE EARLY, ALISSANDRA HENDERSON and KATARINA HENDERSON
CONTACT US
CONTACT
The One Fell Swoop Project
17 Wilbury Grove
Brighton and Hove
East Sussex
BN3 3JQ