Village Wooing: A Comedietta for Two Voices
A performance in celebration of George Bernard Shaw’s birthday weekend at The Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith, on 27th July 2025 at 2.30pm
The performance will be followed by a Q&A with the Cast and Director, hosted by the Irish actor Billy Boyle.
Village Wooing stars Joe Sargent as ‘A’ and Maryann O’Brien as ‘Z’, and is directed by Jonas Cemm
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Village Wooing by Bernard Shaw is an anti-romantic battle of the sexes comedy. A charming two-hander in which the characters, simply named ‘A’ and ‘Z’, play a relentless game of cat and mouse across land and sea.
This production was winner of a 2021 London Pub Theatres Standing Ovation Award for Best Rediscovery plus Best Show and Best Performance (Maryann O’Brien) at 2022 The Birmingham Fringe Fest, and was a finalist for an OffFest at the Off West End (Offies) Awards in 2022.
“Congratulations to the Village Wooing team for the nomination and win, a play I have fond memories of performing in 1979 with Richard Briers. It’s wonderful to see SHAW2020’s work continue to thrive as shown by this industry recognition. I wish their production continued success.”
DAME JUDI DENCH
Shaw vs. Chekhov: A Double Bill
Part of Theatre at the Tabard’s 40th anniversary season, from 6th -23rd August 2025
VILLAGE WOOING by Bernard Shaw & THE PROPOSAL by Anton Chekhov
The Shaw Versus series is collection of double-bills that pit a Shaw play against a piece from either one of his contemporaries, writers who influenced him, or playwrights he ultimately influenced.
SHAW vs CHEKHOV stars Joe Sargent, Maryann O’Brien, and Anthony Wise. Is directed by Jonas Cemm *The Proposal is adapted by Bethany Blake based on a translation by Julius West.
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Celebrating Theatre at the Tabard’s fortieth anniversary season, we return to the popular London venue with a three-week run of Shaw vs Chekhov from 6th – 23rd August. This compelling double-bill pairs SHAW2020’s award-winning revival of George Bernard Shaw’s Village Wooing with a new translation of Anton Chekhov’s The Proposal.
Our tour of Shaw’s Village Wooing earned a Best Rediscovery award at the 2021 London Pub Theatre Awards, won Best Show and Best Performance (for Maryann O’Brien’s portrayal of the character ‘Z’) at the 2022 Birmingham Fringe Fest, and was a finalist at the 2022 Off West End (Offies) Awards.
“I am delighted to be playing Z again,” said Maryann O’Brien. “She is, without a doubt, one of my favourite characters and I can’t wait to return to the rehearsal room with SHAW2020 and re-explore Shaw’s Village Wooing, as well as discovering Natalya Stepanovna in Chekhov’s The Proposal.”
The production also features an updated translation of The Proposal by SHAW2020 actor-producer Bethany Blake, who spent much of her youth living in Russia. Blake, who starred as Vivie Warren in our 2024 Mrs. Warren’s Profession, said: “It’s a privilege to have lived in Russia, to have been able to experience and absorb some level of cultural understanding that I’ve been able to utilise in this new translation of a master’s work.”
SHAW2020 Theatre Company 