Kemp's Jig

Marking the 10th anniversary of the death of Chris Harris, we bring you a filmed performance of his one-man show, Kemp's Jig. It tells the story of a Morris Dance from London to Norwich: a true story worthy of the Guinness Book of Records.

Will Kemp, purveyor of "mad jests and merry jigs", was a famous Elizabethan actor and a shareholder, with Shakespeare, in the Company of the Lord Chamberlain's Men. It is probable that many of the Bard's comic roles were written with Kemp in mind; Touchstone, Dogberry and Launcelot Gobbo were brought to life for the first time in Kemp's person.

Besides his fame as Shakespeare's clown, he achieved renown for his Morris Dancing. He performed the challenge of dancing from London to Norwich, a distance of 125 miles, in nine days, an extraordinary feat later recorded in his book "Kemps Nine Daies Wonder", on which this show was based.

Kemp's Jig was been seen at the Royal National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, on
television, heard on the radio and seen in 57 countries throughout the world at many international  festivals. It's funny, highly entertaining, and a credit to its creator.

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"A wonderfully sustained piece of clowning and story-telling."
Ned Chaillet, The Times

"A masterpiece of comic acting."
Allen Sadler, The Guardian