London’s Bankside has brought Shakespeare’s work to life in an immersive art trail to illustrate how his 400-year-old words continue to resonate and inspire today’s artists and creative practitioners.
In collaboration with the Fagerhult Group, the final installation of the art trail has been released in the form of a projected Polari translation from the Great Bard’s Macbeth, which aims to both commemorate the 50th anniversary of Pride and illuminate Shakespeare’s own sexual identity, in which recent interpretation of his sonnets reveals he was bisexual.
In the 19th century, Polari was initially developed as a secret language by people in theatres, fairgrounds, and markets. Some gay people later adopted it in the 20th century to avoid imprisonment for their sexuality. Labelled as an ‘endangered language’ by Cambridge Dictionary, it holds an essential place in gay heritage, and the projection aims to celebrate the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community in the area.
The Polari projection reads:
“Life’s but a mincing shadow, a poor joggering omee that trolls and frets her hour upon the boards, and then carks it; it is a tale told by an idiot, full of screeching and parnie, signifying nanti.
A translation of “Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more; it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”
The Polari projections can be seen at Fagerhult Office, 33-34 Dolben Street, from sunset to 9 pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays for a limited period.
