Shakespeare Mas Archive

Shakespeare Mas is a unique and celebrated part of the carnival festivities on the island of Carriacou, part of the tiny Caribbean island nation of Grenada. Here you will find photos, participant interviews, and performance videos taken by the author since 2009.  This archive is a work in progress.  The first posted videos are interviews.  Two of the interviews are reflections by distinguished island elders; the third interview is with Dr. Viola Browne, one of the first female participants in Shakespeare Mas.

This striking performance event has taken place for decades in the tiny villages of Carriacou. Local islanders dressed in a remarkable combination of Elizabethan and African-like costume pieces and masks recite speeches from Shakespeare plays, until suddenly violent fights between one or another of the pairs of players break out. They beat each other with reinforced leather-bound sticks as weapons, their aggression gathering heat and rage. Eventually a designated referee calms the battle and the players return once more to their speeches.

I first learned about Shakespeare Mas by chance during some of my many sailing trips to the Grenadines in the early 2000’s. Given my profession in the theater as an actor and director, I was intrigued, curious and then determined to see the performance event for myself.  In 2009 and 2011, I had my first opportunities.  At the same time as my interest in Shakespeare Mas deepened, I began to write a series of mystery novels set in the Grenadines. Returning to Carriacou to view Shakespeare Mas in 2025 as part of research for my third novel, I found myself with opportunities to interview the people who you will meet here. What started out as a personal interest turned into a treasure trove of material that I could imagine many people might be interested to know about--to have access to.  And so, I created this archive to share it.

Introducing 3 Distinguished Participants

The Shakespeare Mas Journey From Village to Village

Shakespeare Mas takes up one whole day of Carriacou’s carnival, a journey from one village to another as the participating players encounter more and more combatants on their route. The day begins early, quietly, in the highest and one of the most remote of Carriacou's tiny villages, Mt. Royal. Handfuls of local villagers begin to gather at the main crossroad of the village, marked by a bus stop and Anthony Modest's small convenience shop. At more-or-less the appointed time, a dozen players emerge from high up a dusty lane striding in their astonishing costumes to the crossroads. After an hour of fierce competing, a sense of completion falls across the gathering. The players catch their breath, chat with their friends and family among the audience, hang their masks on their shoulders and prepare to travel to the next village.

Usually the next participating village is New Brunswick although in 2025 the damage from Hurricane Beryl made that impossible. Thus in that year, the Mt. Royal players rode in trucks. I have heard that in other years they have walked, an immensely steep and arduous journey. In 2009, I joined the parade of players from New Brunswick to Six Corners. At each stop, more players add to the gathering of combatants. The last stop of the four is Carriacou's principal town of Hillsborough. There, the final round of competition takes place in front of the main dock with the Caribbean sea with all its dazzling shades of turquoise and vivid blue as a backdrop.