Some Spoleto Festival USA performances entertain you.
Others completely consume the room.
This year, one of the most electrifying theatrical experiences coming to Charleston is All the Devils Are Here: How Shakespeare Invented the Villain, starring acclaimed Broadway actor Patrick Page. And if you love theater with intensity, intelligence, darkness, wit, and pure commanding stage presence, this is one of Holy City Affairs’ absolute must-see productions of the 2026 Festival season.
Presented at the beautifully dramatic Festival Hall in downtown Charleston, the production runs June 3, 5, 6, and 7 during Spoleto Festival USA 2026. The show clocks in at approximately one hour and twenty-five minutes, but from everything already being said in theater circles, audiences should expect a performance that feels both larger and darker than life itself.
The premise alone is irresistible.
Patrick Page, widely known for his thunderous bass voice and unforgettable villainous performances on Broadway, takes audiences deep into the minds of Shakespeare’s greatest villains. Through characters like Iago, Macbeth, Richard III, Shylock, and others, Page explores how Shakespeare essentially invented the modern theatrical villain as we know it today.
And this is not simply a lecture.
This is theater.
Dark, seductive, razor-sharp theater.
The Festival describes the production as a “tour de force,” and honestly, that feels exactly right. Patrick Page is one of those rare performers who completely owns a stage without needing elaborate scenery or spectacle. The voice alone can practically shake the walls. Theater lovers will recognize him from major Broadway productions, including Hadestown, The Lion King, and Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, but Shakespeare has always been central to his artistic identity.
For Charleston audiences, the timing of this production could not be more perfect.
Charleston itself already feels theatrical during Spoleto season. The city glows differently during the Festival. Candlelit alleyways. Church bells. Cocktail dresses moving through cobblestone streets. Jazz floating out of courtyards. Artists, actors, patrons, and musicians are pouring into bars after performances, discussing what they just witnessed.
Now, place a psychologically rich Shakespearean villain experience into that atmosphere.
Exactly.
This is the sort of Spoleto evening that becomes an entire mood.
At Holy City Affairs, we always remind guests that the smartest Festival experiences are curated holistically. You do not simply “go see a show.” You create an evening around it. And All the Devils Are Here offers endless possibilities for one of the most dramatic nights of the Festival season.
Imagine beginning with cocktails hidden inside one of Charleston’s historic lounges. Then slipping into Festival Hall as the lights dim and Patrick Page begins dissecting evil, ambition, manipulation, jealousy, revenge, and power through Shakespeare’s language. Afterward? Late-night martinis, impossible reservations, whispered conversations about which villain was truly the most terrifying, and perhaps one final nightcap beneath Charleston’s gas lantern glow.
That is the difference between tourism and access.
That is the Holy City Affairs difference.
And make no mistake: this production is likely to attract serious theater audiences from across the country. Patrick Page carries enormous Broadway credibility, and Spoleto Festival USA has a long-standing reputation for bringing internationally respected talent into intimate Charleston venues where audiences can experience performances at unusually close range.
Festival Hall itself adds another layer of intensity. Unlike a giant arena, the venue allows audiences to feel fully immersed in the performance. Every vocal inflection lands harder. Every pause matters more. Every sinister grin from the stage feels personal.
That intimacy is precisely why this production is already creating buzz among seasoned Spoleto attendees.
Spoleto Festival USA, founded in 1977 by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Gian Carlo Menotti, has long balanced classical prestige with daring contemporary storytelling. The 2026 Festival runs May 22 through June 7 and features more than 110 performances across opera, theater, dance, jazz, chamber music, and contemporary works throughout Charleston’s most iconic venues.
But among all the grand productions, concerts, and premieres, All the Devils Are Here feels like one of those performances people will still be talking about long after the curtain falls.
And trust us — these tickets are not going to sit around forever.
For VIP Spoleto Festival USA concierge experiences, curated itineraries, luxury accommodations, impossible reservations, backstage insight, and Charleston unlocked, visit Holy City Affairs or call 843-427-3647.
