CLOWNWORLD SHAKESPEARE - The Beginning

The Journey Starts Now...

May 16, 2023

INT. GLOBE THEATRE, 1594 LONDON - EARLY MORNING

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE is sprawled out on the stage next to several empty gin and ale bottles. His clothes are torn, soiled. The Bard smells as bad as he looks.

Luckily, the theatre is empty, and the only sounds are the famed playwright's half-blind muffled grunts. Then all of a sudden--

POUNDING on the theatre’s massive wooden front door.

ANGRY MOB: “Come get ye some sunlight, Shakespeare! We want our money ‘fore the ‘morrow!”

Shakespeare quickly gathers his wits and runs toward a smallish metal box.

There’s blinking lights and a bunch of LED readouts on the inside and outside that’d make an iPhone jealous.

There’s even a small flap marked ENTER. Hmm, this metal contraption seems kinda tech-y for the 16th century.

Wait. It's a freakin' time machine!

The theatre’s ancient front door, however, can’t take much more pounding. The shouting turns to shrieking.

ANGRY MOB: “Gonna wring your pox-y neck, you skiving wretch! You won’t exit, we enter posthaste!”

Shakespeare looks around. Quickly dives inside the time machine and marvels at the plush leather interior, but all these controls...

SHAKESPEARE: “Fie upon this-- oh, hell.”

He runs his hands over the controls until he finds… a large LED display marked “YEAR.” Muttering to himself, he keys in 1-9-8-4. Shakes his head. The mob bursts through the door.

Shakespeare mashes the buttons. It comes up 2-0-2-3. He shrugs and presses one more key.

Whoosh!

G-Forces pin him back. A notebook marked “Sonnets” falls to the floor as the pride of Stratford-upon-Avon passes out.