THE STRANGERS’ CASE

A new play by Paula Rodríguez in collaboration with Bold Theatre, inspired by Shakespeare’s works exploring migration, identity and belonging through the voices of international actors.

The Strangers’ Case offers fresh perspectives on some of Shakespeare’s most memorable characters, many of whom are themselves outsiders, foreigners, exiles or strangers in the worlds they inhabit.

Written and directed by award-winning artist Paula Rodríguez, the cast comprises three international, professional, classically trained actors with extensive experience of classical performance across different countries and leading institutions.  Their voices, accents and individual relationships to language become an integral part of the work, celebrating linguistic difference rather than concealing it.

In a time of rising populism and increasingly polarised debates around migration and belonging, The Strangers’ Case asks what Shakespeare can reveal about identity, allegiance, justice and the balance of power. Across his plays, characters are repeatedly confronted with displacement, exile, banishment, shipwreck, war and questions of where — and with whom — they belong.

Rather than treating foreignness as something to overcome, The Strangers’ Case embraces the richness of speaking Shakespeare across, cultures and accents. The production is primarily in English, with occasional use of other languages such as Spanish, Chinese and Greek. These multilingual elements are integrated into the performance while maintaining accessibility for international audiences..

Currently in development, the project is conceived as a mid-scale production adaptable to daytime open-air performance, including spaces such as Shakespeare’s Globe, as well as to indoor theatres. The actors’ bodies and the power of storytelling are at its centre, alongside original music, sound design and lighting.

In a world where conversations around origin and identity are increasingly shaped by division, Shakespeare’s words offer a space to listen, question and reconsider what it means to belong