The Prince by Abigail Thorn
The Lace Market Theatre
21st July 2025
Photos credit: Grace Eden.
Walking into the Lace Market Theatre on opening night, I am expecting something bold—and I absolutely got it. The Prince crashes you into a Shakespearean multiverse: two 21st-century trans dimensional women, Jen (Jess Hall) and Sam (Ami Veera) are trapped in the swirling texts of Henry IV Part I and Hamlet, striving to find their way home—and along the way, meeting Hotspur, a warrior whose sense of identity fractures in real time.
From the moment Jess Hall’s Jen yells, “I bloody hate Shakespeare!” I know this would be no dusty period piece. As a debut play by Abigail Thorn, actor and (better known to me from Philosophy Tube), the script’s strength lies in sharp, modern humour and the way it disrupts the iambic flow. Esther Warren’ s Hotspur brings both simmering intensity and flashes of vulnerability, reminding us why this is theatre, not history. Warren captivates me with her ability to switch between the multiple layers, genders and time-periods with ease, hardly off stage, handling swords and Shakespeare with complete mastery.
Set designer Guy Evans, staging is refreshingly simple – portcullis prosarch, drapes, clever creative lighting and poignant projection, with soundscapes that are not distracting from the story, but add a texture of place and time. The tech team should be proud of an opening night without a hitch. Costumes by Max Bromley & Dylan Brown are very effective; the Hamlet ruffs make the transitions instantly clear and the bags Sam and Jens’ carry give visual nods to the real world.
The complexity of weaving two Shakespeare plays in and out of modern commentary is expertly handled by directors Laurie Owen & Micah Aroha Darmola and I am impressed by their use of stillness and playfulness. The audience are transfixed throughout, especially during the fight choreography by John Buckeridge. I feel the ending is open to interpretation, and I’m sure my opinion would be different to everyone around me. I immediately want to see it again to reconsider that last scene.
Jess Hall (Jen) is vibrant, chaotic impulsive and brings humour, giving us highly amusing facial expressions, and is the complete opposite of the more rule-bound Sam, played by Ami Veera. I’m mesmerised by their comic timing and the orchestration of them fighting over the map box, with all the elements of commedia dell’ arte, clowning, some slapstick, and this daftness is the perfect light relief to the serious scene being performed around them.
Nathan Hackett as Hal, is charming and subtly vulnerable, always with a ‘Twink’ ling in his eye. His charm meeting his uncertainty, Hackett has a great rapport with Hotspur and we enjoy their confident performances throughout. Hackett is a master of breaking the fourth wall, in the final scenes.
Bernard Whelan plays both Northumberland and King Henry, both with great command and poignant delivery of the Shakespearean text. He defines authority, duty, and expectation and unwittingly sets up a running joke, based on his duality. I was even giggling about this joke on the way home.
Whelan, along with Sam Marshall, (Douglas) and David Dunford ( Worcester) play the characters who do not realise they are in a play. Combined, they support the storyline and avoid cliches. Dunford gives Worcester a measured persona, and Marshall is a Scottish rogue whose captivity sets much of the action in motion.
A special mention must go to Maureen Mwabueze as Lady Kate. Her grounded presence gives the role a quiet power and emotional clarity.
By curtain call, I feel a palpable sense of community in the room. The cast’s energy, and the idea that “all the world’s a stage”, lands in a way that feels both celebratory and defiant
It’s not often you get a play where Shakespeare and gender identity collide and even less often where it works this well. Brilliantly achieved by The Lace Market Theatre. A Princely production no-less.
