Petty men, Buzz Studios (UK)

The performance is presented in English with Czech surtitles. The venue is Komorní scéna Aréna (www.divadloarena.cz)

Petty Men offers audiences a rare glimpse behind the scenes. What happens to actors when they are not on stage? What do they talk about, and how does it affect the performance the audience ultimately sees?

The production is presented as part of the international ShakeSphere project, organised under the auspices of the European Shakespeare Festivals Network, of which we are a member.

Buzz Goodbody Studios is a theatre company named after Buzz Goodbody, the first female director at the Royal Shakespeare Company. The company creates accessible yet rebellious productions of classical theatre and occasionally stages newly written works.

What is Petty Men About?  

In the dressing room of an unnamed West End theatre two understudies decide to outperform the show relay of the production of ‘Julius Caesar’. What starts as an attempt to combat their boredom brings their friendship to a crisis point and dangerously blurs the lines between the real world and Shakespeare’s Rome. Questions and themes around friendship, ambition, sacrifices we make for an imagined future life, disappointment and betrayal all come to a head. Our inspirations for the project include ‘Waiting for Godot’ and ‘Withnail & I’.

Running Time: 75 minutes

Performance date: 4th of August, 2026