“ALL THE DEVILS ARE HERE”: McCarter Theatre Center is presenting the Octopus Theatricals production of “All The Devils Are Here.” Created and performed by Patrick Page (above), and directed by Simon Godwin, the one-person show runs through August 30 at McCarter’s Berlind Theatre. (Photo by Julieta Cervantes)
By Donald H. Sanborn III
“Hell is empty and all the devils are here.” This line, delivered by the character of the magical spirit Ariel in William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, quotes the terrified Prince Ferdinand, who jumps into the sea to escape a burning ship.
To be precise, all the devils — or rather, several of Shakespeare’s — are at McCarter Theatre until August 30. In All The Devils Are Here: How Shakespeare Invented the Villain, award-winning actor Patrick Page invites audiences to take a different sort of “deep dive.” As the subtitle suggests, Page’s riveting one-performer show explores the evolution of the Bard’s antagonists.
Villains comprise a subject with which Page is intimately familiar; he has spent much of his career portraying them. Antagonists are an apt fit for his eerily smooth bass voice, which could make an address book or cooking directions sound ominous. Arguably, he is a Vincent Price for the 21st century.
Page has portrayed Iago in Othello, Claudius in Hamlet, and the title character in Macbeth, among other roles. Non-Shakespeare performances include the Inquisitor in Saint Joan, Scar in The Lion King, Frollo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Hades in Hadestown (for which he has received a Tony nomination). Fans of the HBO series The Gilded Age will recognize him as the savvy Richard Clay, the former employee of railway tycoon George Russell.
Following its 2021 online premiere at Shakespeare Theatre Company, All The Devils Are Here opened Off-Broadway in 2023. Page has been touring with the work since spring 2024. For the show, Page has won The Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, and Outer Critics Circle awards. He currently is writing a book based on the show.
Directed by Simon Godwin, All The Devils Are Here begins with a bit of eerie, atmospheric music (created by Sound Designer Darron L. West). Banging on the stage with a stick, Page majestically opens with Lady Macbeth’s invocation, ““Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts…fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty.”
As Page performs the segment, he reverently turns the pages of a large book, evincing awareness of the dangers that lurk in its contents. Stacey Derosier’s lighting lets him cast a large shadow against the back of the stage, which fittingly is lit a hellish red.
In between pithy monologues Page is contrastingly affable, even warmly humorous, though still a formidably commanding presence. (In an informative post-show talkback he describes himself as the theatrical equivalent of a museum docent.)
Page recounts Shakespeare’s formative experiences as the son of the high bailiff of Stratford-upon-Avon, whose duties included granting licenses for traveling acting troupes to perform plays there. Page likes to imagine the youthful Shakespeare sitting in the front row to see touring performances.
The productions that Shakespeare would have seen at that time were morality plays. Page notes that antagonists were not referred to as “villains” back then (the word instead referred to a low-born peasant), but rather, “vices.” As the term suggests, a vice in these plays was a personification of unsavory behaviors or characteristics.
Page does not shy away from confronting the racism, antisemitism, and other biases that appear in Shakespeare’s plays (especially in the early works). Antagonists often took the form of the objects of these prejudices.
The first example is the two-dimensionally sinister Aaron the Moor in Titus Andronicus. Page probes similarities between one of Aaron’s monologues and one written for Barabas from The Jew of Malta by Christopher Marlowe, a contemporary of Shakespeare. Page memorably juxtaposes the monologues in an imagined conversation between the two stereotypical characters.
In addition to noting Shakespeare’s debt to other writers of his day, Page also notes current characters inspired by the Bard. These include Walter White (from Breaking Bad), Tony Soprano, and Scar.
Page speculates about possible factors that caused an evolution in Shakespeare’s writing. One is the bubonic plague, which closed theaters down for over a year (a situation to which, Page wryly observes, 21st century theater artists and audiences can relate). Another possible factor is a romantic relationship that Page suggests was rather different from that depicted in the film Shakespeare in Love.
The actor cites The Merchant of Venice as an example of this evolution. Although the antagonist, Shylock, is a Jew, his psychology is more complex than that of Aaron, or the title character in Richard III. Page supports this by reciting a scene in which Shylock sounds comparatively reasonable while Antonio, the nominal protagonist, treats him with cruelty which, Shylock contends, he has “borne” with “a patient shrug.”
Othello is a stark contrast to Titus Andronicus. The villain of Othello is not the title character — who, like Aaron, is a Moor — but the white Iago. A director challenged Page to answer the question of whether the manipulative and remorseless Iago is a sociopath. Researching the question, Page consulted Martha Stout’s book The Sociopath Next Door — and encountered information and statistics that lead him to joke that the term could describe eleven members of the audience (as well as certain public figures).
Page bookends the show by returning to Macbeth for the penultimate segment.
The actor observes that, rather than automatically embodying unsavory traits, Macbeth first resists, then chooses without turning from, villainous behavior.
As an actor, Page has the virtuosity to offer many varied characterizations with his voice. Nevertheless, his portrayal of the Macbeth trio of witches is enhanced by West’s sound design, which distorts his voices to sound like multiple actors are speaking.
Page’s performances are marked by the way in which he shapes them. He lets his delivery of lines steadily build (or reduce) force, while always being ready to surprise us with a sudden spike in intensity.
He is equally at home portraying ruthlessness and (genuine or manipulative) vulnerability. Even audience members who do not understand all of the dialogue likely will be able to understand the essence of what is being said, just from the actor’s deliberately chosen movement and vocal inflections.
Godwin’s staging helps to ensure that the show is not visually static, by letting Page intently pace the length of the stage in key segments. One such moment occurs during a monologue for Richard, Duke of Gloucester from Henry VI, Part Three. As he paces, he moves one arm wildly while keeping the other still — confined to his side — as he quotes, “From this torment I will free myself.” In another monologue he holds his head in his hands, as though unable to bear the weight of the thoughts inside.
Other than a red curtain, there is no scenery, nor is any needed. However, Scenic Designer Arnulfo Maldonado furnishes the stage with a black table for Page to use in certain scenes (and on which props, such as a crucifix, dagger, or even a tambourine, are placed).
Costume Designer Emily Rebholz outfits Page in a variety of clothes (appropriately, mostly in dark colors), tailored to the needs of a given segment. Accessories such as a mask or a pair of glasses help distinguish certain characters.
All The Devils Are Here is, in effect, a staged masterclass (with strong production values added) in the process of a virtuoso actor’s preparation and performance. With Page, every change in movement, phrasing, or tone of voice holds meaning; and every bit of painstaking research is reflected in the delivery.
Describing the show as a “masterclass,” however, risks making it sound like an assignment. On the contrary, Page frees Shakespeare’s work from the high school drudgery with which some may associate it, showing McCarter audiences a “devil” of a good time.
Created and Performed by Patrick Page, “All The Devils Are Here” will play at McCarter’s Berlind Theatre, 91 University Place, through August 30. For tickets, show times, and more information call (609) 258-2787 or visit mccarter.org.