Slade Wolfe – Andrew Slade and Lexi Wolfe – are two disabled, neurodiverse creatives with a passion for powerful theatre and a deep love for the Edinburgh Fringe.
Lexi is a multi-award-winning actress and writer. Andrew is a producer, technician, and performer who made his return to acting last year after seven years away.
Andrew tells us about his solo show, 1 King, 2 Princes & Shakespeare’s Lie, playing at the Fringe this year.
“Sold out in 2025. Back by popular demand. A king. A traitor. A villain. Or was he? Richard III returns to confront the myths that condemned him, challenging Shakespeare’s version of events and putting history itself on trial. In this gripping one-man performance, fact clashes with legend as Richard defends his reign and questions who gets to decide the truth. Provocative, compelling and darkly entertaining, this show asks whether history judged the wrong man. As power, propaganda, legacy and reputation collide on stage, you must decide whether history lied.”
Where: Annexe at The Space @ Symposium Hall
When: 7-29 Aug (not 16 or 23)
Ticket link: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/1-king-2-princes-and-shakespeare-s-lie
Tell me about your show 1 King, 2 Princes & Shakespeare’s Lie. From the title, it sounds like your Richard III is out to set the record straight?
That was certainly the temptation, yes, but instead I decided to approach it more from a slightly different angle. Rather than telling people that he did or didn’t kill the Princes in the Tower, create a play that explores the life and legacy of Richard III, and the story we think we know about him. Yes, it questions the version popularised by Shakespeare, but it’s not about replacing one ‘truth’ with another.
Instead, the show looks at how history is shaped; who gets to tell it, who benefits from it, and how a narrative can harden into fact over time. Richard speaks directly to the audience, taking them through the key events of his life, the accusations against him, and the evidence we do and don’t have, while also questioning how much of his reputation comes from Shakespeare and the Tudor narrative that followed his death.
By the end, the audience is asked to decide for themselves: was he the villain history remembers, or something far more complicated?
Why do you think Shakespeare was so set on putting the blame for the death of the two princes on their uncle? Is it as simple as keeping well in with the Tudor monarchs?
Hmmm. This is a more complicated question. I actually don’t think Shakespeare was trying to tell the story of Richard at all. It’s important to note that this play was never published as a History play, but as one of his tragedies, which is the biggest clue. I do, very much believe that his audience at the time would have very much identified his hunchback character as someone else from the time (you’ll have to see the play to find out who!)
I also think it’s important to consider the context of what would have been known at the time. History books weren’t what they are today. History would have been taught very much based on what was provided, and the narrative that the Tudors pushed out was the narrative Shakespeare used, as published in the journal of Thomas More. There would have been no alternative source to access, because at that time, no one would dare publish anything different.
So, a different question – do I think Shakespeare believed the story about Richard? Yes – he would have had no reason not to – he was historically far enough removed from the actual events to only know what he had been taught.
What keeps you heading back to the Edinburgh Fringe?
It’s like a drug! My first experience of Edinburgh Fringe was when we came to perform here for the first time in 2023. I already loved the city, but to experience the joy, the energy, and the enthusiasm around the Fringe by patrons and performers; to see the vast cross-section of the performing world coming together to vivaciously celebrate what it is to be creative is intoxicating.
I would hope to return year after year. Next year I’d like to bring something different – maybe a 2-hander with Lexi? She wrote a play a long time ago – I’ve been prodding her about updating so we can perform it together for about 5 years now, and now I have the confidence to actually be performing again, I’d love to give that play a go!
How did Slade Wolfe start, and is it your main focus to recreate real people?
I first met Lexi in 2011 when she auditioned for a feature film I was producing and casting for. We stayed in touch over the years, and in 2016, I went to watch one of her one-woman shows called The Witch in the Woods, and I was blown away by how her craft had come along (I always knew she had the ability to be a star).
At that time, we both had ideas to work on similar style projects, and it seemed to make sense to work together….and so Slade Wolfe Enterprises was born. Alas, ill health has played havoc with our plans, but here we are, still going, and hopefully building a brand with a reputation for good-quality theatre.
We seem to end up (certainly Lexi does) creating drama about real people, but there are so many interesting people from history that don’t get the attention they deserve. I think it’s more happenstance than any particular plan – there are stories we want to tell, and there are real people who help us create those stories, so it becomes an unexpected synergy!
What’s next for this play post-Fringe?
I don’t really know. We’d like to take all our plays on to other venues – it would be great to get a touring agent and really get these stories shown in a wider context.
The show has 2 confirmed performances post-Edinburgh – in September I’ll be performing in front of the Richard III Society at their annual conference in Nottingham (so no pressure there!), and then in October I’m performing in my home region at Folkestone Live, which is a new fringe festival in its 3rd year.
After that, the sky is the limit! Although Lexi and I are working on a TV adaptation of Richard’s story, so we’re looking for production companies to help take that forward with us!