Whitney White's Revolutionary Shakespeare Musical Arrives at the RSC
Whitney White, the Tony-nominated director and performer, is bringing her groundbreaking musical theatre production All Is But Fantasy to the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon. This innovative work represents a significant departure from traditional Shakespearean interpretation, blending characters from multiple plays with contemporary musical styles and urgent social commentary.
A Musical Journey Through Shakespeare's Tragic Heroines
White's production creates unexpected pairings from Shakespeare's canon, bringing together Lady Macbeth with Emilia from Othello in one segment, while Juliet appears alongside Richard III in another. The director describes her unique approach to these classic characters, revealing how she hears rock'n'roll when reading Macbeth and envisions Lady Macbeth with the powerful presence of Tina Turner.
"I read Macbeth and I hear rock'n'roll," White explains. "To me, Lady Macbeth sounded like Tina Turner. She was saying, 'I want more but the world won't give me more.'" This musical sensibility stems from White's background growing up with her grandfather's 50-strong church choir, which fundamentally shaped her understanding of performance and storytelling.
Interrogating Female Fate and Ambition
The production represents more than just a musical reinterpretation. White uses the platform to examine the problematic patterns surrounding Shakespeare's female characters, particularly their frequent untimely deaths. "The show is a look at fatal heterosexual female arcs," she states. "I feel like we're all a little too comfortable with women meeting an untimely end."
This examination became particularly personal for White following the loss of two women in her family. Her production seeks to challenge audiences' acceptance of these narrative patterns while creating space for more complex representations of female ambition and power.
The Transformative Power of Community and Tradition
White has incorporated the three witches from Macbeth as central figures in her production, reimagining them as embodiments of community wisdom and support. "As a Black woman, I don't want to tell this story alone," she explains. "It's not just my story. I needed allies on stage to process the trauma and weirdness."
The director draws direct connections between her theatrical witches and the women who shaped her upbringing. "A spell is a prayer, and a witch is a holy woman, right?" she questions. "The three witches are those people – my aunts and my mother are on stage with me every night."
Bridging Centuries of Social Commentary
White's production deliberately connects Shakespeare's 400-year-old texts with contemporary social issues. She traces direct lines between Emilia's speech about abused women in Othello and the documented rise in domestic abuse during the pandemic years. This approach allows the production to function as both historical exploration and urgent social commentary.
"I have an opinion about them that comes from my lived experience," White asserts, "and I think I have the right to marry those two things and ask a lot of questions."
Navigating Reverence and Innovation at the RSC
Bringing such an unconventional production to the hallowed grounds of the Royal Shakespeare Company represents both a professional milestone and personal challenge for White. She describes the experience as simultaneously terrifying and exhilarating, particularly when encountering Shakespearean legends like Ian McKellen and Judi Dench.
"I've never been more scared in my life, but I've also never felt more alive," she confesses. "Being in the church of Shakespeare, I definitely bow down at the altar – but I'd like to add a new song to the mass."
All Is But Fantasy runs at the Other Place in Stratford-upon-Avon from 21 January to 21 February, offering audiences a fresh perspective on Shakespeare's enduring works through the lens of contemporary musical theatre and social consciousness.
