Shakespeare in the Streets brings you Shakespeare – and Bury – as you’ve never seen them before! Along a specially plotted route, taking in some of the hidden (and not so hidden) gems of Bury’s rich history, our audiences encountered performers bringing Shakespeare alive in ways which were funny, fresh and surprising.

Our Sonnet Walks in Bury St Edmunds were directed by Abigail Anderson.

Produced by Abigail Anderson and Sharron Stowe for the Bury Festival in association with the Theatre Royal.

Setting for Sonnet 8 composed by Birgitta Kenyon.

In addition to the performers a great many people have contributed to the Sonnet Walk in a variety of ways, so a huge thank you to: Nick Wells of the Bury Festival, Geoffrey Pickess, Tania at Aviary Ices, Sue Scrivener, Marian and the residents of Church Walks, Sally Waters and Amy Wyllie, Paul Golynia at the Theatre Royal and Carrie Fitton. Carnations supplied buy Flowers for all Occassions.

The photo credits for this event are are variously: Sharron Stowe and Carrie Fitton.

Greg Hanson performed in The Guildhall

As an unperfect actor on the stage
Who with his fear is put besides his part,
Or some fierce thing replete with too much rage,
Whose strength’s abundance weakens his own heart.
So I, for fear of trust, forget to say
The perfect ceremony of love’s rite,
And in mine own love’s strength seem to decay,
O’ercharged with burden of mine own love’s might.
O, let my books be then the eloquence
And dumb presagers of my speaking breast,
Who plead for love and look for recompense
More than that tongue that more hath more express’d.
O, learn to read what silent love hath writ:
To hear with eyes belongs to love’s fine wit.

Sonnet 23

Harriet Garbas performed at The Bridal Studio on Guildhall Street

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken.
Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle’s compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

Sonnet 116

Eve Chancellor, Amy Noonan, Zoë Opheims, all members of the Theatre Royal Young Company, performed at Langton Place

For shame! deny that thou bear’st love to any,
Who for thyself art so unprovident.
Grant, if thou wilt, thou art beloved of many,
But that thou none lovest is most evident;
For thou art so possess’d with murderous hate
That ‘gainst thyself thou stick’st not to conspire.
Seeking that beauteous roof to ruinate
Which to repair should be thy chief desire.
O, change thy thought, that I may change my mind!
Shall hate be fairer lodged than gentle love?
Be, as thy presence is, gracious and kind,
Or to thyself at least kind-hearted prove:
Make thee another self, for love of me,
That beauty still may live in thine or thee.

Sonnet 10

Birgitta Kenyon, Jonathan Lodge and members of The Voice Squad performed at the Unitarian Meeting House

Music to hear, why hear’st thou music sadly?
Sweets with sweets war not, joy delights in joy.
Why lovest thou that which thou receivest not gladly,
Or else receivest with pleasure thine annoy?
If the true concord of well-tuned sounds,
By unions married, do offend thine ear,
They do but sweetly chide thee, who confounds
In singleness the parts that thou shouldst bear.
Mark how one string, sweet husband to another,
Strikes each in each by mutual ordering,
Resembling sire and child and happy mother
Who all in one, one pleasing note do sing:
Whose speechless song, being many, seeming one,
Sings this to thee: ‘thou single wilt prove none.’

Sonnet 8

Freda Barratt performed at 20 Guildhall Street

Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed,
The dear repose for limbs with travel tired;
But then begins a journey in my head,
To work my mind, when body’s work’s expired:
For then my thoughts, from far where I abide,
Intend a zealous pilgrimage to thee,
And keep my drooping eyelids open wide,
Looking on darkness which the blind do see
Save that my soul’s imaginary sight
Presents thy shadow to my sightless view,
Which, like a jewel hung in ghastly night,
Makes black night beauteous and her old face new.
Lo! thus, by day my limbs, by night my mind,
For thee and for myself no quiet find.

Sonnet 27

Nicola Goodchild performed on Church Walks

From you have I been absent in the spring,
When proud-pied April dress’d in all his trim
Hath put a spirit of youth in every thing,
That heavy Saturn laugh’d and leap’d with him.
Yet nor the lays of birds nor the sweet smell
Of different flowers in odour and in hue
Could make me any summer’s story tell,
Or from their proud lap pluck them where they grew;
Nor did I wonder at the lily’s white,
Nor praise the deep vermilion in the rose;
They were but sweet, but figures of delight,
Drawn after you, you pattern of all those.
Yet seem’d it winter still, and, you away,
As with your shadow I with these did play.

Sonnet 98

Danusia Iwaszko performed in Aviary Ices

Being your slave, what should I do but tend
Upon the hours and times of your desire?
I have no precious time at all to spend,
Nor services to do, till you require.
Nor dare I chide the world-without-end hour
Whilst I, my sovereign, watch the clock for you,
Nor think the bitterness of absence sour
When you have bid your servant once adieu;
Nor dare I question with my jealous thought
Where you may be, or your affairs suppose,
But, like a sad slave, stay and think of nought
Save, where you are how happy you make those.
So true a fool is love that in your will,
Though you do any thing, he thinks no ill.

Sonnet 57

Mark Finbow performed in St Mary’s Churchyard

That thou hast her, it is not all my grief,
And yet it may be said I loved her dearly;
That she hath thee, is of my wailing chief,
A loss in love that touches me more nearly.
Loving offenders, thus I will excuse ye:
Thou dost love her, because thou knowst I love her;
And for my sake even so doth she abuse me,
Suffering my friend for my sake to approve her.
If I lose thee, my loss is my love’s gain,
And losing her, my friend hath found that loss;
Both find each other, and I lose both twain,
And both for my sake lay on me this cross:
But here’s the joy; my friend and I are one;
Sweet flattery! then she loves but me alone.

Sonnet 42

John Cormack performed at St Mary’s Square

How heavy do I journey on the way,
When what I seek, my weary travel’s end,
Doth teach that ease and that repose to say
‘Thus far the miles are measured from thy friend!’
The beast that bears me, tired with my woe,
Plods dully on, to bear that weight in me,
As if by some instinct the wretch did know
His rider loved not speed, being made from thee:
The bloody spur cannot provoke him on
That sometimes anger thrusts into his hide;
Which heavily he answers with a groan,
More sharp to me than spurring to his side;
For that same groan doth put this in my mind;
My grief lies onward and my joy behind.

Sonnet 50

The final stop on the Sonnet Walk was an installation by Alice Hill at the Theatre Royal. Above, an audience member examining the installation.

When most I wink, then do mine eyes best see,
For all the day they view things unrespected;
But when I sleep, in dreams they look on thee,
And darkly bright are bright in dark directed.
Then thou, whose shadow shadows doth make bright,
How would thy shadow’s form form happy show
To the clear day with thy much clearer light,
When to unseeing eyes thy shade shines so!
How would, I say, mine eyes be blessed made
By looking on thee in the living day,
When in dead night thy fair imperfect shade
Through heavy sleep on sightless eyes doth stay!
All days are nights to see till I see thee,
And nights bright days when dreams do show thee me.

Sonnet 43

Review from the Bury Free Press – Friday 21 May 2010

In a festival first, Sonnet Walks toured the town at the weekend, with the promise of Shakespeare, a little history and the element of surprise thrown in for good measure.

Starting at the Guildhall, director Abigail Anderson handed members of my group our route and a flower for identification purposes. I felt a little like I was going on a blind date (I’ll be outside the Corn Exchange at 1.30pm, waving a red carnation…), but decided to go with it. We were barely outside when we were accosted by Harriet Garbas, wearing a bridal veil, who recited Sonnet 116. Then, at almost every turn, enthusiastic actors popped out.

We took part in an aborted wedding at the Unitarian Meeting House, where Birgitta Kenyon, Jonathan Lodge and members of the Voice Squad performed Sonnet 8, beautifully set to music. Then, Freda Barratt invited us into her home for a touching performance of Sonnet 27. The 90-minute walk, which included 10 sonnets, was a triumph which engaged the imagination. Let’s hope it returns next year, but in a slightly different form, so I can do it again.

CB

We were taken by surprise from the very beginning… We learned some really interesting little snippets about Bury en route, looked at the place more slowly and with different eyes, looking up more. Even when we began to expect the unexpected, the performances were brilliant. I loved the carnations, and even the weather was kind to us. Thanks again!


Linda and Bob Giles

It was the most wonderful occasion, great acting, great presentation and every scene a surprise. Well done and please, please make sure it is repeated next year. All the best and many thanks.


Richard Powell

Fantastic idea, great performances by all. Great fun and friendships made. Thank you!

Sylvand Marley and Julian Stubbs

Wonderful, surprising and funny. I will treasure the text.

Tim Freeman

Such a delightful idea – Wonderful combination, bringing Shakespeare’s Sonnets into our world. Bury is so well suited to this. Thanks to all the actors/singers for an illuminating 2 hours.

Anne Bloomfield

Really great! Fantastic variety of performances, superb acting and a lovely walk.

Ian, Annie, Ella and Daniel Brown

Brilliant. What a great introduction to Bury. Great fun.

Graham

Brilliant fun, unexpected and full of surprises.

Doreen and Roger Whomes

Well done, smiled and enjoyed every moment. Congratulations actors!

Julie Cooper

What a lovely way to spend 2 hours. Exceptional!

Berni Waters

Absolutely Wonderful, loved everyone. Thank you.

Chrissy Harrod

Fabulous acting. A wonderful event, well produced.

Sue

Brilliant idea, terrific execution. Congratulations.

Fiona Evans

Fabulous way to spend a Sunday Afternoon, fun and spontaneous.

Fiona Ahmed

Must go read the Sonnets again, just great afternoon.

Sandra

Brilliant, would definitely recommend it.

Laura Hadgraff

Wonderful, Fun, Interesting, Inspiring. Great!

Mo Perkins

A very interesting and enjoyable way to discover Bury. Thank you!

Jackie Hobbs, Surrey

Absolutely fabulous event, Fantastic concept. Sonneteers work outstanding. Thank you.

Marian and Keith Farrow

What a wonderful tour though the town with Shakespeare, it was an adventure. Can we have more events like this? Thank you.

Marina Kralina

I laughed, cried and waited in anticipation. I did not want it to end. Thank you.

Becky Easdown

The perfect combination of history, poetry and new people.

Sidi Welton and Lynn Whitehead

A wonderful tour, full of interesting surprises, great acting. It made me laugh and made me cry too. Thank you so much.

Jeanne Hyde

What a wonderful idea. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I shall go home and read sonnets and when I’m in town shall look up then wait for a sonneteer to accost me. Many thanks to all those that made it a lovely event.

Liz and Rob Lock

We loved every minute, please do this every year.

Vera and Julian Delefortirme

A magical experience, thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful series and performances, got emotional at times and loved the introduction with actors and audience.

Karen Chancellor

All the actors brought the Sonnet to life, especially when interspersed with contemporary language.

Andrew Hart

Our aim with the Sonnet Walks was to create a unique, inter-active experience for our audience that re-awakens them to the city they live in and the people around them, as well as presenting Shakespeare’s sonnets in a new light.

The first ever Sonnet Walk NYC took place in Lower Manhattan on Sunday August 19 2007. We hope you were there, but in case you missed it, here is list of the actors that took part, and the sonnets they performed.

Directed by Abigail Anderson.

Produced by Abigail Anderson, Sandra Garner, Caroline Samuels and Rosey Strub.

Daryl Lathon performed Sonnet 145 at Our Lady of Victory.

Those lips that Love’s own hand did make
Breathed forth the sound that said ‘I hate’
To me that languish’d for her sake;
But when she saw my woeful state,
Straight in her heart did mercy come,
Chiding that tongue that ever sweet
Was used in giving gentle doom,
And taught it thus anew to greet:
‘I hate’ she alter’d with an end,
That follow’d it as gentle day
Doth follow night, who like a fiend
From heaven to hell is flown away;
‘I hate’ from hate away she threw,
And saved my life, saying ‘not you.’