dEFAULT THEATRE began life during Luke Martin‘s training, and became the platform for him to start producing The Shakespeare Archives, a series of Shakespeare short films aimed to make the plays more accessible and engaging to a cinematic audience.
Driven by a desire to stay engaged and excited about storytelling and acting against the odds, a project came to life amid the lockdown of 2020. dEFAULT THEATRE hosted six full length Shakespeare live-readings that took place on Zoom. These were live-streamed on dEFAULT’s Youtube Channel. There even was a special Christmas Special when the holidays rolled around too.
These began as very simple readings, actors perhaps switching hats to portray their different characters, but very soon there was props, costume changes, makeup and special effects, and even live musical performances!
Alternating between tragedies and comedies, the biweekly readings were a source of fun and an opportunity to act and perform in such unprecedented times.
At the end of his training, Luke decided to bring to fruition a play adaptation he had begun dreaming of and working on during his studies at The BRIT School with a full length play titled House of Gloucester.
The play was an adaptation of Shakespeare’s King Lear, taking the B-Plot – the exploits of two brothers, Edgar and Edmund, who must navigate the tumultuous political world with their father the Earl of Gloucester – and bringing the intrigue and tragedy of these relationships to the forefront.
Produced and performed at Rose Bruford College, the play was a fast-paced and cinematic retelling of a classic tale, bringing some new interpretations and ideas to the floor whilst still retaining Shakespeare’s original words.
Fellow students volunteered their free time to rehearse and perform, and its performance on March 18th 2022 was filmed and can be watched here.
The Shakespeare Archives is still an active project, with more short films planned for the future.
luke martin
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR.
After studying Film and Theatre at The BRIT School, Luke went on to study Acting at Rose Bruford College. Throughout all of his education he continued to make his own work with his peers, and continues to develop his style and storytelling voice through dEFAULT.
The purpose of playing… is to hold as ‘twere the mirror up to Nature.
Hamlet Act iii, Scene ii