In the opening moments of When That I Was, an elderly homeless man named Jack Rice shuffles on to the stage dressed in tatters like King Lear. It’s 1650 and the Puritans have closed all the theatres in England. Living in a dusty, deserted theatre for shelter, Rice is left to reminisce about his life in Shakespeare’s troupe years before.
“He’s remembering better times,” actor Christopher Hunt told the Star. Hunt is bringing his one-man showcase to the Capitol Theatre on January 10. During the course of the show he will appear as 25 different characters, including Elizabeth I.
“This guy Jack Rice was lucky enough to be around some awesomely talented people. He tells the stories about all the people he met through being an actor in Shakespeare’s troupe—the king, the queen, the other actors in the company and that whole world.”
But things have changed.
“He’s living in a time where Puritans are flogging people if they’re actors. He’s missing the joy and the life of that company.”
Hunt said he enjoys playing all of the characters, particularly King James and Richard Burbage, Shakespeare’s company manager.
He also plays a number of female roles.
“I play a couple woman throughout. And not women actors, but women in Shakespeare’s life like his landlady. And then there’s Queen Elizabeth. He did have a connection to her and there’s a history there to be explored. We’ve got a great little scene. It’s just this old guy’s memory, though, so it’s not like I’m whipping off stage to put on a dress.”
Hunt said the play, written by Edward Atienza and John Mortimer, is perfect for both Shakespeare enthusiasts and those who find his language incomprehensible.
“People tend to have this love-hate thing with Shakespeare. This takes the curse off a little bit. There are snippets of dialogue from the plays, but it’s not a whole night of people talking like they did 400 years ago. There’s a nice nod to that world, and it’s language, but it’s not unintelligible.”
Hunts’s character is based on a historical player from Shakespeare’s troupe.
“The guys who wrote this knew their Shakespeare history. Jack Rice is listed in the folio as one of the 26 actors who originally premiered with the company. I looked all over for what I could find about this guy. I couldn’t find much. There was some evidence he got work at a church taking care of the rectory or something like that, and he was listed in one of the other actor’s wills.”
When the play was originally produced in the 1980s, it had contemporary parallels to the lives of actors and artists dying of AIDS in North America.
“Whenever this play is done we try to find ways to make it relevant to our lives today.”
Hunt first starting touring When That I Was seven years ago. He’s toured it to Calgary, Edmonton, Nova Scotia and Northwest Territories. He said the minimalist nature of the production makes it ideal for traveling.
“I’ve been lucky enough to take it a few places across the country. It’s one of those shows I can pack up in a couple hockey bags and keep in the basement. It’s always easily revivable. That’s a nice thing to have,” he said.
When That I Was plays at 8 p.m. on Saturday, January 10. Tickets for adults are $30. Tickets for students are $24.
To buy tickets visit capitoltheatre.bc.ca. For more information visit unclewillproductions.com.
