Review: ALL THE DEVILS ARE HERE: HOW SHAKESPEARE INVENTED THE VILLAIN at Guthrie Theater

Hell truly is empty and all of the devils have descended on the Guthrie stage in what will certainly go down as a “you had to be there to believe it” performances. Esteemed Broadway icon, Patrick Page has brought his award winning and highly lauded one man show - All the Devils Are Here: How Shakespeare Invented the Villain – to Minneapolis. His first stop on a national tour that Page is setting out on, to bring the devils of Shakespeare’s legendary plays, to the masses who weren’t able to get to New York for it’s run.

Crafted in such a way that the show reads more like a masterclass in understanding Shakepeare’s view of villainy and less of a play, Page effortlessly navigates the text of some of the most iconic “villains” found in the bard’s work. Early on within the show, Page addresses the fact that not all of the devils found within the work are white males and asks for the audience to show grace as he navigates the different races, creeds, and genders of the characters he performs. As the show acts as an educational piece as well. Page takes a moment to address that Shakepeare wrote in a very different time than we are living and so the stereotypes of the past certainly are outdated and should be understood as such.

While All the Devils are Here is not a traditional piece of theater. Page has strung a series of monologues together in such a way that as he delivers each character’s monologues (and at times full scenes), he leads the audience deeper and deeper into the depths of hell and villainy, culminating with perhaps the darkest play of all time, The Scottish Play (Macbeth).

It is no secret that Patrick Page has had a very storied career. Playing some of the greatest villains on the stage. From Iago in Othello to The Green Goblin in Spider-Man Turn off the Dark to his chilling portrayal of Hades in Hadestown, Page has always towered above the heroes in these shows and he shows all of that prowess within All the Devils are Here.

As he navigates the different roles that he has chosen to include within this production, he reveals a new side of his acting chops. Each character is fully realized and given their own time in the shadows but it is within the climax of the show that the audience’s breath is stolen away as Page takes on two of the most devious roles in the Shakespeare cannon.

For all of the devious roles that are portrayed, there is none that can hold a candle to the man himself. Patrick Page is an enchanting human being. While he narrates the story of these devils, he plays another character on the stage: educator. Throughout the entire production it is evident that Page is completely invested to his craft and the exploration of Shakespeare, both as a person and as a playwright.

He is extremely knowledgeable and makes the information that he longs to share, extremely digestible for those who may not know much about Shakespeare’s thought process, or what we can infer they were. Page loves to share the information and to make it fun to enjoy, even though the material is less than heartwarming at times.

Matching Page almost note for note is his lighting designer, Stacey Derosier, who has not only created lighting that stuns but also enhances each and every “scene”. There is never a moment when Derosier seems to be phoning it in because each character is offered a different and unique setting to live within. As there is no formal set, Derosier is tasked with creating the scenery through her designs and what breathtaking designs they are. Not only are they gorgeous to look at but they also lure the audience into the scene, giving Page a space to work his magic in and further entice the audience to become better acquainted with his villains.

All the Devils are Here is not just another boring Shakespeare show. It provides a vibrant, yet often horrifying, look at humanity through the lens of a man who lived hundreds of years ago but whose work is still as relevant as the day he gave his words from his quill to (Patrick) Page.

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