A grand, intimidating man (John Kielty) enters the stage who is depicted as the William Shakespeare we all know. But is this the real William Shakespeare? This comedic play inclines you to keep an open mind and question who the famous playwright actually was. Charming and amusing characters guarantee your entertainment in this excellent play.
An endearing and humourous Christopher Marlowe (Nicholas Thorne) recounts the ‘true’ story of William Shakespeare with the help of charismatic university student, Laura (Kirsty Eila McIntyre). As this occurs, ‘William Shakespeare’ watches on and appears disgusted by this version of storytelling. Relatively short re-enactments of anecdotes between Marlowe and Laura maintained a great pace which sustained engagement.
I had no prior knowledge of who Christopher Marlowe was so it was great that they established his backstory first. This meant that the show was accessible for each audience member as all key details are conveyed in the show itself. Although, I was questioning at what point they would start narrating Shakespeare’s story, given the title of the theatre piece. However, all becomes revealed as their stories intertwine and merge together.
Occasional breaks of the fourth wall were effective and comical, carefully considered so that they were not too frequent to lose impact. However, perhaps the most giggle-worthy moments were when ‘Shakespeare’ unexpectedly spoke/sang. Otherwise rarely uttering two words, the timing of delivery was brilliantly considered.
A surprising declaration as to who the real William Shakespeare was left me absolutely chuckling. It’s encouraged me to think about the other possible ideas out there. An outlandish comedy which excites me to see if other shows go onto explore the multiverse of William Shakespeares.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
{AD | Gifted} Written by Carly (@stageychaos)