Sweet William is an irreverent Elizabethan comedy set in an East End pub. Inhabited by a host of colourful characters who are all Shakespeare's friends, they each have a bone or two to pick with the Bard when he arrives for a night on the town. Written especially for the company by BAFTA and INTERNATIONAL EMMY AWARD winning writer, Alan Plater,

Sweet William
by Alan Plater

"It's noisy, irreverent, rambunctious and ribald, and its vividly imagined world is peopled by such colourful and appealing characters, whose company is so enjoyable, that you almost want to get on stage, join them at the bar and buy them all a drink. The cast of actor-musicians are without exception an earthy delight. The whole thing is a pleasure - sweet, indeed."
The Times

"a warm, big-hearted production…… You don't need to brush up on your Shakespeare to enjoy the in-jokes, boisterous song and burst of clog dance that Plater has devised…...At least a quart of life has been poured into this refreshing pint pot of a pub play."
The Independent

"Sweet William is a little gem of a play, perfectly suited to the strongest company Broadsides has fielded for some years. Conrad Nelson's score, an ingenious mixture of jazz, blues, folk and a soupcon of rap - plus a beautiful setting of When That I Was But a Little Tiny Boy - is also superb"
British Theatre Guide

"A warm-hearted piece, wittily peppered with lines from the plays and peopled with lovable characters. ….as William Shakespeare, Conrad Nelson comes over as deep, compassionate, funny, sharp and a bit of a mystery - quite like the man we all know, and don't know."
Financial Times

"Refreshingly direct, open, funny and not a little irreverent."
Edinburgh Guide