The Gentleman of Shalott

The Gentleman of Shalott is a queer adaptation of Tennyson’s poem The Lady of Shalott, influenced by Theatre of the Absurd, exploring isolation; social media-induced anxiety; neurodiversity and our unwillingness to confront the climate crisis. 

In his tower on an island in the river, Martuni weaves, masturbates and keeps fit.

His only distraction from the monotony? The horny suitors on his dating app: Reaper longs to be a dog at the foot of Martuni’s bed; Page wants to rescue Martuni in a hot air balloon and save him from the war; drought and environmental collapse; Shepherd invites himself round for sandwiches and trifle.

Will Martuni be lured outside?

Or will the curse of his social anxiety and narcissism keep him imprisoned forever?

If we can’t meet anyone in real life, who do we pretend to be and what lives do we pretend to lead?

Welsh actor Gareth Watkins’s career spans three decades, working with Glasgow Citizens, The National Theatre of Sweden (Riksteatern) and The National Theatre of Wales (Theatr Genedlaethol), BBC, ITV, and Film 4.

As a writer, he was a finalist in the PlayOn writing awards for Theatr Clwyd and NTW.

The Gentleman of Shalott won the London Pub Theatres’ Standing Ovation Award for Outstanding Production Values, and was also nominated in the Innovative Production category.

Through his writing, Gareth asks the question: What if classic texts and folklore had always been at liberty to make explicit their implicit queerness?