5/5 stars: Sublimely Ridiculous. SH!TFACED SHAKESPEARE at Leicester Square Theatre may first appear a dummit – down stunt to ensnare the Shakespeare-virgins, and my companion this evening was a perfect road-tester; a proud petrol-head who avoids Shakespeare like the pox. We look forward to hearing what he has to say.
Historically, drunk-on-duty actors may well have been the norm in Tudor times, when drinking pump-water was deadly and everyone hydrated with ale, even children. The whole country would have been mildly sloshed most of the time. Authenticity aside, this is a wonderful idea which must have taken some hard-core persuasion to bring to fruition. Think of the risks… droning, crying, puking, passing-out and that’s just the drunk one. What about classically trained Shakespearean actors who can’t ad-lib their way frothily through the mayhem. And then there’s the audience, quite niche, no? Not too high brow to think it execrable, not too low-brow to see the Bard-word and swipe left.
I’m pleased to report, our performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream had the well-attended theatre in stitches most of the time.
How much was seat-of-the-pants and how much cunningly crafted, was a mystery, which goes to show just how seamlessly the actors flipped between the Dream lines, comedy, and raw responses to rat-arsed Hermia and her unpredictable antics. It was a car crash within a play within a play. A compared car crash. Our delectable Compere was crucial to keeping the pace, man-handling Hermia off or shouting ‘Give us some PLOT!’ She also handed out instruments for the audience to bang or hoot when they thought Hermia was in need of a top-up.
There were moments of un-sabotaged Shakespeare, when Hermia was off, often carried off, as she turned into a bit of a Diva. Some actors such as the two young bucks, remained more tenaciously Tudor despite the shitstorm. Hermia was a growling, reeling, hapless wreck after her half a bottle of vodka – who wouldn’t be? She stroked Theseus’ fur and asked, ‘We are in summer, are we not?’, called Helena a ‘fucking beutch’ and Puck a ‘paedo in speedos’. When she did come out with some proper lines, she surprised herself.
After Hermia, the worst offender for taking liberties was Puck, the thrusty servant of Oberon, who indulged in every form of erotica. The best moment was a fairy party, with beards and beerguts all squeezed into shiny green bodysuits. They started off innocent enough, in Russian corps-de-ballet formation, and ended up in a gang-bang. He was the most senior of the cast and cleverly wove the insults into his verse. His hit line for me was, ‘I’ve really Pucked it up’.
My companion thought it was ‘thoroughly enjoyable’, but would not be tempted to see a conventional version.
Playing: 24th July – 7th September 2024.
Tickets from here.
