ED2016 3/5 Reviews ED2016 Comedy Reviews

Shit-Faced Shakespeare (Magnificent Bastard Productions)

By Jon Stapley | Published on Monday 15 August 2016

Eight Shakespearean actors, one of them utterly pissed – it’s a simple formula that has served Shit-Faced Shakespeare well over the years. This year it’s ‘Measure for Measure’, and last night it was Duke Vincentio who pounded the Prosecco and performed while, well, as advertised. The result? Good fun, but surprisingly patchy. Every scene with Vincentio was a riot, but there were lengthy stretches where he disappeared from the stage, and it turns out getting an audience revved up, then giving them a bit of ‘Measure for Measure’ played mostly straight, will provide a sharp lesson on how to suck the energy from a room. It was funny, it was silly, but the anticipated feeling of ‘anything-could-happen’ anarchy didn’t quite materialise.

Underbelly George Square, until 29 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Jon Stapley]