The Prince, an insightful exploration of identity playing at Southwark Playhouse

A performance of The Prince, which will premiere at Southwark Playhouse in September 2022, is an insightful exploration of identity and is set to have a majority trans cast.

This is the first play from Abigail Thorn, creator of the hugely popular web show Philosophy Tube, which she has built to more than one million subscribers since it was established in 2013.

Abigail publicly came out as a transgender woman in January 2021, with her video Identity: A Trans Coming Out Story.

The Prince – which she wrote and will star in – adds another vital layer to her already impressive voice.

Joining Abigail Thorn who appears as the lead, Hotspur, are Jen and Sam, trapped within the confines of Henry IV Part One, who know they do not belong there, or in the many Shakespeare plays they have unwillingly flitted between.

They are not like the others; they are not mere characters fated to repeat the words and actions written for them.

They belong in the real world. And they are going to find their way out.

Abigail Thorn said: “The Prince is a show about being trapped in bad relationships – with parents, friends, lovers, and even with yourself.

“The story follows a handful of characters in a Shakespeare play who start to realise they are all stuck inside a performance.

“Some are in denial about their sexuality and gender, others are just trying to prepare the next generation for the struggles ahead.

“My genius dramaturge Donnacadh O’Briain describes it as “Elizabethan sci-fi” – I tell friends it’s like The Matrix if it was written in 1600.”

The Prince is a sharply and passionately written story about the roles we play for other people.

For more information: https://www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/show-homepage/the-prince/The Prince

Pictured: Abigail Thorn stars in The Prince Picture: Greg Veit Photography