This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on December 14, 2015.

IT is one of the most well-known literature works in the world, and has inspired countless theatre performances and movie adaptations. But William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream has never been told in this perspective: through the eyes of little Peaseblossom, a little known fairy who is one of Lady Tatiana’s minders. 

This modern re-telling will be performed by award-winning British theatre actor and playwright Tim Crouch later this week at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (klPac). “[He] does not fully understand what is going on,” Crouch says, describing the character of Peaseblossom  as “a fairy with very little words in the original comedy.” 

Influenced by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, a Tom Stoppard play featuring two minor characters in Hamlet during the 90’s, Crouch says he drew a similar idea when invited to write a show to help young people connect to Shakespeare’s works. 

Reputed as one of the best Shakespearean actors today, Crouch begun writing re-imagined plays with Caliban from The Tempest. “I always felt how poorly treated Caliban was, and that he never got to fully state his case.” This thought begun a series of plays that now include I, Banquo, I, Malvolio, I, Cinna (the poet), and I, Peaseblossom. 

“They all start from the same impulse — to help the little guy have his say,” states the playwright. Expressing his interest for the underdogs and the “smaller” men and women, and those who stand on the periphery, Crouch subverts the notion that it is only worthwhile to tell stories through the eyes of those who stood out in history. 

It is through the lesser characters that Crouch hopes to help people “unlock” Shakespeare and ease into the original works. “Many of us would feel that Shakespeare is a great man, a cultural icon, unapproachable, incomprehensible — but not for the modern age, also difficult and alienating,” he acknowledges. 

Having performed I, Peaseblossom in various countries to positive reviews, Crouch says that there is no need to be familiar with A Midsummer Night’s Dream to enjoy the show. “It is both a stand-alone show and a ‘stand-up’ show — it’s gentle and very funny. The humour is not dependent upon knowing Shakespeare.” He adds that beyond the telling of a Shakespeare story, it explores universal themes of love and dreams, as well as fear and fantasy. 

Performing for the first time in Malaysia, the actor says that though he can’t say how Malaysian audiences will react, he’s confident that the common humanistic values will make it accessible to all cultures and ages. “There is also no filter between me and the audience, so what you see is a very human performer.” 

Told in a modern language interspersed with original text, the one-man performance has been described as highly interactive, with significant audience involvement. “At one point I climb into the middle of the audience! They are cast as characters and given gentle things to do,” he reveals. 

For the first time in Malaysia, there will also be a ‘relaxed performance’ matinee, which creates a more relaxed environment to benefit and be inclusive of those with very young children, people with autistic spectrum conditions, those with sensory or communication disorders or learning disabled people. Children are also encouraged to come dressed as little fairies in this performance. 

Presented by British Council Malaysia in collaboration with klPac, I, Peaseblossom kick-starts Shakespeare Lives in Malaysia, a global programme of events and activities planned in celebration of the 400th anniversary of this iconic playwright’s death in 2016. In conjunction with the performance, an hour-long post-performance workshop will be held after the special matinee show on Dec 19. In addition, every performance will also be followed by a question and answer session with Crouch. 

Emphasising the significance of Shakespeare’s works in its timeless reflection of human character, Crouch says it is important to understand why he still has influence today. “Shakespeare is more relevant than ever. We need to know where we come from, not just through politics and geography, but also culture and art. Shakespeare’s stories are deeply embedded in how we construct even our modern identity. We have to keep on telling them, and introduce them to the next generation. Every culture has to own Shakespeare for itself.” 

I, Peaseblossom will be staging at Pentas 2, klpac, from Dec 16 to 20. Tickets are priced at RM45. For more information, visit www.klpac.org or call (03) 4047 9000.