For any production, trying to find identical twins for a show where mistaken identity is key to the mayhem, can be a tricky feat.
And in the upcoming production of Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors, at the Mercury Theatre, audiences may take a second glance at sisters Danielle and Nichole Bird, who play one set of the play's identical twins.
The farce centres on two sets of identical twins who find themselves in all sorts of impossibly hilarious and sometimes heart-breaking situations as their lives intertwine.
The case of mistaken identity has happened in rehearsals over the years, with Danielle saying in the past she has worn a ribbon or bracelet to help castmates initially distinguish between them.
Nichole added: "I’m quite fond of a New Balance trainer, so there’s an ‘N’ on the side of the trainer which I like to think is, you know, bespokely for me, being Nichole."
With both actresses having plenty of experience performing a variety of Shakespeare’s works, The Comedy of Errors is familiar territory.
Danielle said: "Luckily Comedy of Errors is actually my favourite Shakespeare. This is the fourth time that we’ve been in production of The Comedy of Errors, but we’ve played different parts so this is the first time round for us that we’re playing the roles that we’re playing.
‘It’s short it’s snappy’ she says of the plot, and that it is "the mistaken identities, the confused situations and circumstances" that make it a really light and funny piece.
Nichole added: "This production has a lot of music in it, this is an all-singing, all-dancing version of The Comedy of Errors, set in the 1920s. So there’s a hedonistic kind of party atmosphere that underpins the actual text of Shakespeare.
"Jess Dives, who is the musical director, had arranged modern pop songs into a 1920’s flavour. It’s like post-modern, jukebox style, vintage twist to more modern songs."
After the impact of the pandemic on theatre, the production marks the 50th year of the Mercury Theatre in Colchester.
The twins said it would be an "exciting" time for the theatre and urged audiences to "come out and have a party".
The Comedy of Errors runs from May 13-28, book tickets at mercurytheatre.co.uk
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