Shakespeare's Passions is a one-man play devised by David Owen-Bell and performed by Bruce Morrison. Basically it's a monologue made out of the most famous speeches in Shakespeare, encompassing everything from Macbeth, As You Like It and The Tempest.
It all feels a bit like self-indulgent luvvy nonsense, and the acting ability of Bruce Morrison leaves something to be desired. He goes from Lady Macbeth straight into Shylock with no noticeable change.
As for passion, it seems that Mr Morrison thinks this means raising his voice. There are some songs included, and these are possibly the highlight of the show, with the rich and full timbre of Morrison's voice flowing out from the stage like a warm hug. The Full Fathom Five song from The Tempest was a special delight, with the actor coming between the audience and blessing us all with water. If they included more songs and less dialogue, this would be a much better show.
