SH!T-FACED SHAKESPEARE: THE TAMING OF THE SHREW

A review by Ellie Farrow

A rare-retelling of this Shakespearean comedy, this company of 6 perform an abridged version of the play, with the fun twist of one character being absolutely sh!t-faced drunk! Almost a full bottle of Gordon’s Gin and 3 more beers to boot, that actor was Will Seaward, who played Petruchio.

With the original text adapted into a 70-minute adaptation, the sober actors are tasked with aiding the intoxicated character through every drunken detour! The Taming of the Shrew follows the story of wealthy siblings Katherina and Bianca. Whilst sought after Bianca has many suitors, by her father’s rules, she cannot be wed until her shrew of a sister Katerina is married – so it falls unto her suitors to find somebody to love Katherina. This is where the character of Petruchio comes in, except, in this case, our Petruchio is very drunk!

I loved the untraditional start to the production, where the audience were welcomed by our compere for the evening, played by Stacey Norris. Norris did an excellent job of getting the audience excited, whilst also explaining the level of audience participation. She gave out 2 instruments to the front row, instructing them to bang or blow if they felt Seaward was too sober! I believe that this worked particularly well in the intimate and rustic atmosphere of the Leicester Square Theatre.

I have never before laughed so much at any piece of theatre, I adore Shakespeare, but also love to see adventurous new adaptations. This was fun and funny, as the play I’m so accustomed with took several peculiar turns (I particularly liked when on his wedding eve, Petruchio invites his servant Dave, a name plucked from Seaward’s imagination, and invites him for a Caribbean holiday.) I have great respect to the whole company for their ability to improvise, staying, for the best part, in both character and Shakespearean dialect. They all have the wonderful talent to be able to create such strong, natural humour which provided plenty of laughs for the audience.

Whilst the scenes without Seaward felt less comical, the aided the storyline and were therefore crucial. Furthermore, the actors did a great job at still finding moments of humour within the text, playing them up with looks or actions that presented the lines as jokes or innuendos. This works brilliantly though! 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 of tomfoolery! It’s funny and easy going and, with the bar in the theatre space it’s a great chance for you to get sh!t-faced too!