‘I don’t having a fucking clue what’s going on” is probably the most relatable line spoken in
this telling of Shakespeare's classic comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This tale of love,
fairies and a magical talking donkey is Sh!tfaced Shakespeare’s newest victim in a boozy
reimagining of the classic.
The idea is that each evening, one of the cast is selected to get suitably hammered in the 4
hours ahead of the performance so that the audience, and the cast, can marvel on the
madness that develops on stage. A compère leads us through the show, handing out
various instruments to the audience which have the power to pause the scene, sending
another drink (admittedly a becks which is a poor choice) straight into the hand of the
boozed up actor. Two back-to-back drinks were handed out at this performance, resulting in
rapturous cheers from the audience as the actor necked the drink with a slight look of fear in
his eyes.
Lysander (‘played’, for want of a better word, by Charlie Keable) was this evening victim
drinking four Guinnesses and a bottle of Prosecco ahead of the show. A catalogue of accents
were littered throughout the show which were genuinely quite impressive, if a little ‘your
drunken mate down the pub’ coded. An ongoing joke about another actors bad back was a
highlight of the show which, while entirely irrelevant, made for a hilarious watch as the other
actors toyed with maintaining professionalism but also having a laugh amongst what’s
clearly a tight knit cast.
Admittedly, his ability to maintain this recurring joke as well as some quite politically driven gags does make you wonder the legitimacy of the whole act, however, this isn’t a huge factor as long as people continue to laugh along. It must also be said, there’s some genuinely lovely moments of Shakespearean acting but that’s the least of the audiences worries as they anticipate the next raucous gag.
While it’s not entirely certain whether the audience knew what was going on, this becomes
bottom of the list of priorities when indulging in the Sh!tfaced show. Even the sober actors
play with the silliness of it all, most notably Julia Bird playing puck whose comedic timing,
facial expressions and quick wit rivalled the drunker antics. Certainly do not expect a night of
genuine Shakespeare, but instead a cocktail of what it’s like being at the pub with your
funniest drunken friend who also happens to have a degree in English literature.
Boozy and bonkers, Sh!tfaced Shakespeare is a great night at the comedy, best enjoyed with
a pinch of salt, a drink in hand and the ability to not take theatre too seriously. The joy
comes from expecting the unexpected in a rendition of the tale that I’m sure would have
even Shakespeare himself laughing!
Sh!t-Faced Shakespeare plays at the Leicester Square Theatre until 7th September before
heading out on a UK tour, for tickets and more information, you can follow the link here.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4*)
Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | photography by Andrew AB Photography
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