ED2016 3/5 Reviews ED2016 Theatre Reviews

Shakespeare Syndrome (Mermaids: The University Of St Andrews Performing Arts Fund)

By Raphael Highgate-Betts | Published on Saturday 20 August 2016

Have you ever wondered how Shakespeare’s most famous characters would fare in an appointment with a psychiatrist? Well look no further than ‘Shakespeare Syndrome’, as psychiatrist Will Bard sees some of his more over-the-top patients, and attempts to sort out their murdering, drug-taking ways. All the favourites are here, from Mr and Mrs Macbeth, who’ve been having issues with hallucinations, to Richard the Third, Hamlet, Juliet Capulet and more. It’s an interesting idea, and it’s exciting to see your favourite Shakespearean characters in a new context, but unfortunately the staging lets it down a bit. Showing two rooms on stage at the same time, with only the lighting to distinguish between them, makes it hard to tell when each scene has finished.

Greenside @ Infirmary Street, until 20 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Bethan Highgate-Betts]