Edward's Boys

The productions of Edward's Boys are a miracle of scholarly and theatrical praxis. Under Mills'; artistic vision, and through the company's performances, we’re able to see and understand so much more about the complex history of early modern English theatre… Edward Boys creates truly memorable and thrilling theatre.

Professor Brandi K. AdamsArizona State University, US

Edward’s Boys show us what boys’ companies can do — which is to say, anything. Their productions are not excellent ‘for children’ or ‘for amateurs’ – they are excellent by any standards. They draw energy from two vital sources: first, painstaking attention to the text, which enables each actor to understand his lines and communicate clearly with the audience; second, the ensemble ethos of the boys and their director, Perry Mills. Mills has created a culture in which the boys teach and learn from each other, releasing the exuberant will to perform in each one to great creative effect. Edward’s Boys audiences learn something about boys’ companies and early modern drama, but they also relish pure theatrical gold.

Professor Elisabeth DuttonUniversity of Fribourg

Perry Mills and his boys are fast becoming the stuff of legend. A cut above your average drama society, Edward’s Boys are currently ploughing their way through the dramatic canon of the early modern childrens’ companies… we were given a consummately professional and finely-realised production of a very rarely-performed play. It’ll be fascinating to see where the boys take us next.

Professor Peter KirwanUniversity of Nottingham

More than any other theatre company, including the best of the professionals, Edward’s Boys are in the vanguard of exploring the theatrical style of Thomas Middleton and other contemporaries of Shakespeare… They are clearly leading the way in the exploration of early modern plays using an all-boys cast. Those of us privileged to see these productions are learning about a key aspect of the production of plays in Shakespeare’s period. We are also seeing excellent productions of plays that are insufficiently performed, and, above all, enjoying some memorable evenings in the theatre.

Professor John JowettThe Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham

I love the Edward’s Boys for their willingness to take leave of reality and abandon themselves to the magic of the theatre.  That they are young and male hardly makes a difference, for they can perform whatever is called for in terms of age, gender, class, ethnicity, even size.   With great energy and skill, often musical as well as dramatic, they discover the wit, pathos, irony in even the most abstruse lines.  Of course, behind their performances is the genius of Perry Mills who breathes contemporary life into these largely forgotten early modern plays, turning the many hard challenges they pose into opportunities for strikingly imaginative solutions.

Professor Margreta de Grazia