Taking our lead from this group of Hard Bardic improvisers who like nothing more than summoning the Muses, Theatre Muse will do some summoning of its own, in the shape of sharing news of these eccentric word acrobats, as they attain age ‘21’!
“No one ever made a difference by being like everyone else.” – P.T. Barnum
Photo by Claire Bilyard
Theatre Muse has been a keen observer of The School of Night’s adventures over the last few years, and they can only be described as ‘ring masters in a word circus’, and as PT Barnum alludes, they are certainly not like anyone else! In The School’s big top of entertainment, the company extemporize many styles of playwright, and whereas many other companies will improvise Shakespeare only, The School of Night have an eclectic range of playwrights including Shakespeare, poets, and novelists that they will trot into the ring. The show takes on a different feel each time it is performed, summoning the spirit of the Muses, ancient and modern, including music which will be improvised, and a lost Shakespeare play may evolve before your eyes. There is no set framework, therefore the audience can attend the whole season of shows and never tire of their repertoire. Just to add to the jeopardy, they also tease ideas from the audience, so it is always handy to have a freshen up of the imagination before attending so that you may assist with suggestions for a writer, or a place that you would love to stage a play for example; and taking along a book may also be useful, as these are sometimes called upon!
So they have come of age, but what have these word clowns been doing during their school years, I hear you ask? They were born at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, where their parent, maverick theatre genius Ken Campbell, coaxed them into performing at an early age, throwing them straight into Hard Bardics. Their name derives from underground artists, writers, scientists, and spies of the 16th century, who some believe may have influenced the writing of William Shakespeare. From here, their formative years have been spent performing at Improv festivals around the globe, including Canada, and Germany, with shows in far flung places such as Oslo, Amsterdam, Qatar, Kuala Lumpur, Bergamo, and Texas. Closer to home they are regular players at the Willow Globe, and The Shakespeare Institute, and this year will be adding new venues. Current members of the company are Joseph Chance (Nameshifter), Alan Cox (The Goatador), Dylan Emery (The Troubador), Robert Mountford (Mandrake), and Oliver Senton (Ganzfeld Man), with special guest Adam Meggido joining for the Park Theatre dates.
So now that you know who they are, and that they are not to be missed; where can you catch them? See listings below to book your tickets:-
Photo by Claire Bilyard
Listings
29th March & 26th April 2026 – The Park Theatre, London – https://parktheatre.co.uk/events/the-school-of-night/#event-instances
9th May 2026 – Liverpool Improv Festival – https://www.liverpoolimprovfestival.com/the-school-of-night79-106426-776655.html
15th May 2026 – Sands Films, London – https://www.sandsfilms.co.uk/sands-films-music-room.html
21st May 2026 – Hoopla Impro at The Miller, London Bridge – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/hoopla-the-school-of-night-beings-and-my-sons-tickets-1982269741157?aff=oddtdtcreator
11th July 2026 – The Willow Globe, Mid Wales – https://www.shakespearelink.org.uk/ticket-office/p/theschoolofnight2026
For further information about The School of Night, go to their website – https://www.theschoolofnight.com/upcoming-events/.
