SH!T-FACED SHAKESPEARE: HAMLET

A review by Ellie Farrow

Another great show by Magnificent Bastard Productions as they humorously and uniquely re-tell Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Having been to Sh!t-faced Shakespeare before, and having loved it, I had very high expectations of this night – the performance did not disappoint.

Three quarters of a bottle of tequila and 4 more beers to boot, hastily chugged by actor David Ellis as the audience chanted him on – much to the annoyance of our compere Maddy Schofield. Ellis’s shit-faced Hamlet was remarkable funny, encouraged by the clever, quick reactions and improvisation of the rest of the cast. With the original text adapted into a 70-minute adaptation, the sober actors are tasked with aiding the intoxicated character through every drunken detour!

In case you don’t know the story of Hamlet, it goes like such:

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, is home from school to mourn the death of his father. He is disgusted to learn his widowed mother, Queen Gertrude, has recently married his Uncle Claudius, the late King Hamlets brother, and that he now holds the throne. Hamlet sees his dead father as a ghost and is told to avenge his murder by killing Claudius, his Uncle and the new King. Hamlet feigns madness, contemplates life and death, and seeks revenge. His uncle, fearing for his life, also devises plots to kill Hamlet – however, in this case, our Hamlet is very drunk!

In the Shit-faced tradition, our compere hypes that audience, whilst also explaining the required level of audience participation. Schofield gave out 2 instruments to the front row, instructing them to bang/blow if they felt Ellis was too sober! I feel that this works particularly well as it allows that audience to further believe that the actor is drunk, as they get to see him drink the alcohol live on stage.

I am a huge Shakespeare fan, having seen many productions and performances of every different variety – this is a whole other level. If you want to watch classic Shakespeare, then this isn’t the production for you. If you want to watch an adventurous new adaptation, that will make you laugh out loud in your seat, then I’ve found your perfect play. As much as I know about Shakespearean plays, I’m actually not particular well versed on Hamlet. However, I was still able to easily follow the story line, thanks to the less intoxicated cast members strong acting. Poor drunk Hamlet spoke so quickly, that sometimes even the other actors asked him to repeat himself. His ‘To be, or not to be,’ soliloquy was the quickest I’ve ever heard, and I’m impressed by Ellis’s ability to remember at least 80% of it.

Whilst the scenes without Ellis felt less comical, they aided the storyline and were therefore crucial. Furthermore, the actors did a great job at still finding moments of humour within the text. I was once again incredibly impressed by the company, who all have the wonderful talent of being able to create such strong, natural humour, providing plenty of laughs for the audience.

As an audience member, you know that when you attend a production called Sh!t-faced Shakespeare, you aren’t going to see a refined Shakespearean play. What you do get, is actors who are incredibly talented at what they’re doing, an intoxicated character and a night that will make you laugh until your side aches.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this for anyone who wants a hilarious night! It’s funny and easy going and, with 3 bars in such a tiny venue, a great chance for you to get Sh!t-faced too!