All The Devils are Here – Riveting One-Man Performance by Patrick Page

Aug 27, 2026 by Two Sues On the Aisle

By Sue Weston and Susan Rosenbluth – Two Sues On The Aisle

All the Devils are Here is a must-see performance by Patrick Page, the quintessential villain, playing at McCarter Theatre through August 30. Whether you are a fan of Shakespeare or not, this is a 90-minute one-man show will have you on the edge of your seat. Page teaches us about the evolution of the villain as he effortlessly swaps characters with the addition of a simple prop, covering the canon of Shakespeare’s villains, from Aaron the Moor in Titus Andronicus to Prospero in The Tempest.

Page suggests that Shakespeare created the modern villain, and goes on to prove it. The performance moves chronologically. It shows how the characters evolved, becoming multi-dimensional, gaining the pivotal qualities of regret and revenge, and growing more interesting. The performance, directed by Simon Godwin, showcases Shakespearean monologues interspersed with insights and asides from Page. The topper of our evening was the talk-back, where Page answered questions from the audience, sharing his personal story and perspectives.

Patrick Page

The show features scenes from eight of Shakespeare’s plays. Macbeth with Lady Macbeth’s “unsex me here” invocation. Titus Andronicus, which provides a two-dimensional character that is very similar to The Jew of Malta, written by Shakespeare’s contemporary Christopher Marlowe. In Henry VI, he explores how Shakespeare began to give his villains physical and psychological motives. We see a further evolution in The Merchant of Venice with Shylock, where Shakespeare humanized the antagonist by giving him empathy and grief. There are scenes from Twelfth Night, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and The Tempest, and the line spoken by Ariel, “Hell is empty, and all the devils are here,” which provides the title for the show.

Page was the star, captivating, imbuing these characters with humanity as his emotions filled the theater. A master showman, Page, builds a composite profile of a villain, adding contemporary references from The Simpsons, The Sopranos, and Breaking Bad, making Shakespeare’s villains relatable. This performance was fully engaging, even to those unfamiliar with Shakespeare’s work.

Page makes it personal. By questioning whether villains have a moral character and using the evolution of Shakespeare’s villains as a guidepost. He concludes that since 4% of the population are sociopaths, there would be 13 audience members who fit the criteria. Then reads from The Sociopath Next Door by Harvard psychologist Dr. Martha Stout, to help us identify the sociopaths in our midst. He surmises that we all experience evil impulses but somehow manage to keep them in check.

This cornucopia of Shakespeare plays provided an opportunity for Page to show his versatility, playing characters of different ages and genders, often engaging each other in dialogue. The transformation of his persona, voice, accent, and demeanor was wondrous. Page brought the characters to life using simple props, like the addition of a dog tag for Macbeth, or a kippah for Shylock. Page discussed how society at the time considered minorities to be inherently evil, including Jews, Blacks, and cripples, before taking on corresponding characters. He suggests that Shakespeare’s talent as a writer may have been knowing his audience.

Shakespeare’s exploration of the psyche of the villain was remarkably insightful and showcased Page’s talent as an actor, as well as thoughtful insights into human nature. His comments felt sincere ‘Do these words frighten you?” he asks the audience, “They scare the hell out of me.” I suppose the words would have been frightening to me, but instead of focusing on their meaning, I was captivated by Page’s breathtaking delivery.

Page wrote and has been performing in All the Devils are Here nationally since 2021, providing audiences with the opportunity to holistically experience Shakespearean theater, feeling the meaning without focusing on the words, and connecting with the characters. By peeling back the layers of Shakespeare’s most infamous villains, Page holds a mirror up to our own capacity for malice and empathy.