Good Fooling
by Elaine Avila Directed by Jen Harvey In Elizabethan times, people kept house fools (people with mental disabilities) for entertainment in much the same way we have TV today. This is the story of Robert Armin, who traveled the British Isles studying house fools for his book ‘Nest of Ninnies’. He succeeded in becoming Shakespeare’s favourite clown, playing the part of the fool in plays from King Lear to Twelfth Night. We succeeded in realizing very high production values despite a very tight budget, basic theatre conditions and a shortfall in labour hours. The production used a very ambitious set, comprised of pieces that rolled on and off stage, concealing the actors within them.
