Second Best Bed Theatre Company was set up in 2015 by Mollie Fyfe-Taylor. We have produced shows for Shakespeare’s Birthday Celebrations, the RSC’s summer season at The Dell and our most recent show, “Barred”, in which we have cherry picked a few of the Bard's most entertaining scenes from various plays, is best described as a Shakespearean comedy Sketch show.
Every one of our productions involves live music performed by the actors and our resident musical director. Jackson Pentland has done a delightful job at giving Shakespeare’s original songs a fresh twist.
Originally an all-female company, our first three productions examined the female roles within Shakespeare. We have evolved from there and are presently focusing on role reversal Shakespeare productions. Our latest production of ‘The Tempest’ will tour to rural locations around Warwickshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire focussing on bringing theatre to local communities.
Our company members have a wealth of experience in drama workshops, street theatre and immersive/interactive theatre, so in addition to our traditional show options, we are delighted to be able to offer various 'Pop-up Shakespeare’ packages for weddings, birthdays, celebrations, festivals and corporate events. We can provide a wide range of performance styles so everyone can enjoy a bit of the bard in their own back yard; including reduced performances, wandering minstrels, roaming players and interactive Shakespeare for children.
After graduating in 2009 from Birmingham Theatre School Mollie has worked as an actress for various touring, fringe, theatre, devised, site specific, corporate, independent film and TV companies. Amongst writing, producing and directing short films and plays, she also directed and produced her first full length show of 'The Collector' in 2014, which toured to Birmingham and London. As well as setting up Second Best Bed she also devised, directed and produced their showcase production of 'Damsels, Hags & Heroines’, which was performed in Shakespeare's home town of Stratford-Upon-Avon and was also chosen to be part of the RSC's summer programme at The Dell.
MOLLIE FYFE-TAYLOR
Artistic Director
Helen trained in Performing Arts at Middlesex University, graduating in 1990. Since then she has divided her time between the London’s West End and Community, Youth and Educational Theatre nationwide. As Artistic Director she co-ran Gazebo Theatre and was Development Director for Salamander Theatre for a period of ten years. Whilst at Salamander she set up and ran the company’s youth theatre, the Really Youthful Theatre Company (as Artistic Director of which she became a Regional Youth Arts Champion in 2010).
HELEN KENWORTHY
Company Manager
Jackson trained as an actor at the Bristol Academy of Performing Arts after completing a degree in Drama: Theatre, Film, and Television at the University of Bristol. He has toured the country in Pantomime, Shakespeare, Musical Theatre, and Period Dramas. Alongside his acting he has always maintained a keen interest in writing, music, and composing putting his classical training to use arranging and composing music for Chapterhouse Theatre Company, Blue/Orange Theatre Company, and most recently joining with Second Best Bed to set seven of Shakespeare's songs to music for 'Damsels, Hags, and Heroines'.
JACKSON PENTLAND
Musical Director