First theatre in a department store opens at Selfridges

By

Cajsa Lykke Carlson

Published
Aug 24, 2016

As previously reported on FashionNetwork, Selfridges, the British department store retailer, is celebrating the 400th anniversary year of Shakespeare's death by opening a theatre in its London store.

Now the theatre is open for visits, and Selfridges has announced more details about the initiative and the play's cast. Evening Standard Award nominee Daniel Boyd (Royal Shakespeare Company’s Oppenheimer; Headlong’s Romeo and Juliet; BBC’s The Hollow Crown) and star of the BBC hit Shetland Alison O’Donnell (Headlong’s Boys; Dolls at The National Theatre Scotland) lead the cast as Beatrice and Benedick. Caroline Langrishe, Jude Owusu and Harry Lister Smith are among the other actors.

The play will also feature ‘digital cameos’, including Four Weddings and a Funeral star Simon Callow CBE, Rufus Hound (Royal Shakespeare Company’s Don Quixote), and Goodness Gracious Me actress Meera Syal CBE, Selfridges said. The cameos were made by digital content specialists Dusthouse and will be projected into the space as part of the 21st century refashioning of the production.

The play is the penultimate stage of Selfridges store-wide campaign, Shakespeare ReFASHIONED, which has also seen the retailer create pieces inspired by the bard. It's a collaboration with young British theatre company The Faction and will be on for five weeks.