Our Story
In 2015 we embarked upon our first adventure - Shakespeare’s The Tempest, performed by a cast of 10 actors, on the road for just two weeks. The idea was simple - staging a production that was inventive, fast-paced, and used music to bring to life Shakespeare’s timeless stories. Since then our adventure has grown a bit.
The Three Inch Fools was founded in Cumbria by brothers James and Stephen Hyde. Here’s a little bit more about the two brothers…
James Hyde
James is the producer behind The Fools. It’s his job to put together our epic tours and plan our annual season. He spends his time searching for beautiful historic places for the troupe to perform at, and making sure that every last logistic comes together for our productions to be a success. He has a creative side too, and likes to work closely with his brother; the two of them planning each production together (in perfect harmony). James also designed and built our beautiful timber stage.
Stephen Hyde
Stephen is our writer, composer and director. He’s been composing music for our productions right from the beginning, making him a pretty important string to our bow. Stephen also has a way with words - in recent years he has taken care of writing our non-Shakespearean productions. Our hit comedies, Robin Hood and The Gunpowder Plot, have been the work of this superb playwright; rivalled only by Shakespeare (some might say). When’s he’s not composing or writing, he can be found in our rehearsal room with his directorial expertise, making sure each production lives up to The Three Inch Fools name.