REVIEW - IMPROMPTU SHAKESPEARE

Packed with comedy, romance, tragedy and more, Impromptu Shakespeare crafts an original improvised Shakespearean act that will leave the audience reeling with laughter!

This travelling show was a smash hit at the Edinburgh Fringe, and has headed to Riverside Studios as part of their Bitesize Festival. Taking inspiration from audience suggestions, the brilliantly witty cast put on a completely improvised performance, inspired by one of the best-known playwrights, William Shakespeare. The cast create their own lines and characters, all while staying true to the Bard. As a result, we experience a unique, riotous tale, that will have you laughing out loud!

Walking into the studio, each audience member was handed an orange ping pong ball with a word on it. The show begins with all three actors encouraging us to throw these ping pongs into one of the pantaloons. The cast then randomly chose 4 balls, and those words were to be included in the story. Our random selection of words such as revenge, nobility, and gloves, led to a strong, creative performance with tons of comedy. I enjoyed seeing how the actors interact with one another, and their ability to think on their feet whenever a ridiculous scenario had just been created was incredibly impressive. The scene changes were enhanced by lights dimming and music playing; I must applaud the lighting and sound technicians for being able to accomplish this so effectively during this unscripted play.

My only criticism was that the show began with such high energy but slowed down during the middle. It became apparent that some scenes were going on for too long, which left the one remaining cast member awkwardly waiting on the sidelines. Considering this is a 60-minute show, I wished they had kept the pace going. Nonetheless, I appreciate this type of improvisation requires a lot of skill!

The talented cast work well together and are experienced in the Shakespearean iambic pentameter, which appears to come naturally to them. They delivered many hilarious moments and incorporated characters that could easily be featured in some of Shakespeare’s works. I particularly enjoyed the incorporation of modern-culture references, whilst still staying true to the classical storytelling and language. Being able to perform this short one-act play entirely from a set of words suggested by the audience was fascinating to watch. I was even more impressed (and amused) by the closing dialogue, which included a clever reference to events that had happened just that morning! This resulted in a great round of applause and laughter from the audience. It was a genius way to conclude this weird and wonderful tragedy.

With story and verse improvised in the moment, audiences can enjoy a brand-new experience each time. Impromptu Shakespeare is engaging, comical and fun! Whether you are a fan of Shakespeare or have never read his work, you are bound to have a good time watching this! You can find their tour dates here!

{🎟 AD – PR invite – Tickets were gifted in exchange for an honest review}

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