Owle Schreame
Award-winning, record-breaking, innovative historical theatre company devoted to the exploration of archaic dramatic practice.
About
Founded in Cambridge in 2008 by Artistic Director Brice Stratford, Owle Schreame was created to explore the realities of oral storytelling and Medieval & Renaissance English theatre practice. Over time the company evolved the techniques it rediscovered—incorporating experimental and radical approaches to illuminate the oldest forms of drama. The resulting style is unique, and they have been honing it ever since.
Productions & Seasons
- 2008–present — Storytelling performances by Brice Stratford
- 2011 — Measure for Measure
- 2013 — The Cannibal Valour Season (Bussy D’Ambois, Honoria and Mammon, The Unfortunate Mother) — performed in St. Giles-In-The-Fields church in London where the authors are buried
- 2014 — The Owle Schreame Awards established
- 2015 — Ralph Roister Doister
- 2016–2019 — The DROLLS — revivals of banned 17th-century Interregnum plays, including The Humour of John Swabber, Singing Simpkin, and Simpleton The Smith
- 2018 — Mummers’ Plays performed in a theatre context
- 2018–2019 — A Midsummer Night’s DROLL — A Droll of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night’s Dream the earliest known edited script of a Shakespeare text
The Owle Schreame Awards
Established in 2014, the Owle Schreame Awards are the first and only full set of awards dedicated to all aspects of classical theatre in performance. They celebrate courage, experimentalism, and innovation in historical theatre, recognising artists and companies who bring ancient drama to vivid, living life.
For full details and past winners, visit the Owle Schreame Awards website.
Manifesto
The Owle Schreame Awards reward Innovation, Courage, Experimentalism, Vitality, and Vision. We have a responsibility to the obscure and the fringe over the well-known and the mainstream.
We exist to encourage, acknowledge, congratulate, promote, and increase access to innovative and courageous historical theatre.
Gallery
Bottom confronts a fairy
Bottom and Quince
Mummers
Nobles in masks
Upcoming Projects
New work and archival projects are currently in development and will be announced soon. A dedicated website will launch at owleschrea.me.
