• Advertise
  • Request Review
  • Write for Us
  • Privacy
  • Login

Theatre Bubble

The UK Theatre Network

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Reviews
  • News
  • Features
  • Spotlight
  • Opinions
  • Interviews
  • Guides
  • Ed Fringe

Ed Fringe 2016: Shit-Faced Shakespeare at the Udderbelly

August 17, 2016 by Lake Gregory Leave a Comment

Review of: Shit-Faced Shakespeare
Produced by:
Magnificent Bastard Productions
Price:
£11.50 - £15

Reviewed by: Gregory Lake
Rating:
3
On August 17, 2016
Last modified:August 31, 2016

Summary:

A Fringe Favourite whose central gimmick overshadows anything else the company has to offer - entertaining but not consistently compelling.

More Details

The concept of Shit-Faced Shakespeare, if you have never seen The Magnificent Bastards at work before, is fairly self-explanatory. A company of actors are performing one of Shakespeare’s works. One of those actors is blind drunk. The show must run to an hour. Herein lies the challenge.

Shit-faced Shakespeare Production Still 5 - © Rah Petherbridge Photography - © Magnificent Bastard Productions Ltd

Whilst most of the attention is drawn by the drunk performer, the real talent displayed here is in the ability of the other cast members to improvise and adapt the play according to which character is drunk, giving them more stage time. After all, the audience has paid to see them – not the rest of the play. And with the drunk performer (in our case Angelo) often veering off-text, their appearances dominate the evening.

These scenes are unquestionably highly entertaining – with our Angelo doggedly determined to appear sober for as long as possible, before giving up and using his black cloak to become  nightmarish prehistoric bird of justice. Thematically, a drunken Angelo making arbitrary and bizarre decisions (demanding that Lucio cut off Claudio’s ‘Winky Dink’) fits nicely into the world of the play, with the other characters and the actors portraying them reeling from the rule of this theatrical tyrant.

Consequently, the rest of the play suffers in comparison – neither particularly compelling or comedic. Comic stage business has been choreographed to fill the gaps, but fails to hit its mark. From such excellent comic improvisers (and the whole cast shines when it comes to quickly constructing an appropriate one liner) I expected better invention than the reliable punchline of Lucio thrusting at the air or stroking their giant codpiece. The costumes are a jumble of generic Renaissance amdram accessories. An exception was the actress portraying Isabella, who considering the circumstances brought an extraordinary gravitas and stillness to her role. Her riotous scenes with Angelo gained a poignancy amongst the parody, and were the highlights of the evening.

Watching Shit-Faced Shakespeare is like being in the company of an entertaining drunk friend – hilarious for a time, although an hour sober in their company and the experience gets a little stale. At the same time – you’ll never know what might happen, and you certainly won’t forget your night with them.

Lake Gregory

Author: Gregory Lake

Filed Under: Featured, Review Tagged With: Edinburgh Fringe 2016, Magnificent Bastard, Shit-Faced Shakespeare

Join the discussion Cancel reply

NEWS / Living Record Festival of digital arts announces programme

Living Record Festival is a month-long Digital Arts Festival curating and presenting over 40 original pieces from a range of [Read More]

INTERVIEW / Open Bar on A ChristMESS CAROL

Tell us about Open Bar Theatre and also how you came about and how the name came about. OBT: Open Bar [Read More]

NEWS / Ayomide Adegun awarded The Luke Westlake Scholarship 2020

22 year old South Londoner Ayomide Adegun is currently in his 2nd year of the BA Acting course at Royal [Read More]

NEWS / Late Night Staring at High Res Pixels announced

A new play repurposed for online viewing from the creative team behind Scrounger, and the first of the Finborough Theatre’s [Read More]

NEWS / Crimes Against Christmas becomes an audio advent calendar

Typically at this time of year theatre company New Old Friends would have just finished an Autumn tour and be [Read More]

Top Posts & Pages

  • 5 Stage Elements to Consider for a Rousing Theatrical Production
  • Katy Owen: Auditioning for Oxford School of Drama
  • 10 Tips to Help You Prepare for Your Reality TV Auditions
  • Yasmin Paige on Actually
  • How to Applying for Arts Grants and Funding
  • In Conversation with Writer and Producer Maureen Bennett
  • Katy Owen: How to Apply to Drama Schools*
  • Les Blancs at the National Theatre
  • Cast and Creative team announced for Six the Musical
  • The Donmar Warehouse's The Tempest at the King's Cross Theatre
  • Lake Gregory

    Lake Gregory
    Contributor

  • August 17th, 2016
  • comment iconNo Comments
  • Facebook1TweetLinkedInEmail

    Newsletter

    Enjoyed what you've read? Get even more great content directly to your inbox - Completely Free

    About Theatre Bubble

    Theatre Bubble is the news, review and blogging site created by Blue Pie Media and run by a dedicated team of outstanding editors and writers: we're always looking for new contributors - to find out more click here.

    Contact Us

    News: news@theatrebubble.com
    Reviews: reviews@theatrebubble.com
    Website: webmaster@theatrebubble.com

    Privacy Policy

    Copyright © 2021 · Blue Pie Media

    Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

    Email sent!