An utterly anarchic, unique take on The Bard
A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of Shakespeare’s most-loved comedies, following a group of fairies meddling in the preparations for a human wedding. Sh!tfaced Shakespeare adds an additional ‘Green Fairy’ to the mix – one of its six classically trained actors gets blind drunk just before the performance, leaving them to grapple with the play’s interconnected plots and quick-witted dialogue. This is a wonderfully anarchic spanner in the works, resulting in a blend of chaos and comedy which has the audience roaring with laughter.
The show opens with an itinerary of drinks consumed – three beers and half a bottle of vodka this evening – followed by a dance number challenging the audience to work out which cast member has done the drinking. Tonight, it quickly becomes clear that Hermia (Julia Bird) is indeed incredibly drunk: stumbling around the stage, slurring her lines, ad-libbing invariably sweary interactions with fellow actors, and being frankly uncontrollable for much of the show’s two hours.
The result has the feel of a very adult pantomime, replete with crude humour, a raucous crowd (many of whom are seeing the show again), and plenty of audience participation. Musical instruments are handed out which command another drink for poor Hermia, an audience member is in charge of the sick bucket, and another gets a starring role as Titania complete with costume. It’s exciting to be part of something that really feels quite naughty, and like it could all collapse at any minute.
It takes great skill to plan something so unplanned. The script has been carefully adapted to maintain key story beats and characters, whilst contriving enough scripted laughs to structure the drunken chaos. The cast are unafraid to go off-script and “yes-and” with their inebriated colleague: I don’t remember my English Literature lessons containing quite to many references to The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – or paedophiles, for that matter – but I’m here for it!
An improvisational show lives and dies by the chemistry of its cast. Drunk Hermia and an increasingly frustrated stage manager (Beth-Louise Priestley) form an iconic duo, and Puck (Charlie Keable) expertly riffs off the audience and his fellow cast members: some of the biggest laughs of the night are his call-backs to drunken missteps from earlier scenes. Audience members leave keen to see the show again with a different sozzled actor, indicating that Sh!tfaced Shakespeare has tapped into something special.
This certainly isn’t a show for everyone – the humour is often crass and over-reliant on swearing; some momentum ebbs away in the second half; and whilst drunk Hermia remains on the right side of uncomfortable it’s best not to think too hard about what’s happening here. But if this description does appeal, then the show is probably a must-see. A thoroughly modern, polarising farce which is brilliant for the right person.
Sh!tfaced Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night’s Dream plays at the Leicester Square Theatre until 7th September, before embarking on a national tour. Tickets here.