REVIEW – SHIT-FACED SHAKESPEARE: MACBETH – EDINBURGH FRINGE

What would happen if one of the actors in Macbeth turned up to work drunk? Well Shit-Faced Shakespeare finds out.

Shit-Faced Shakespeare takes a group of classically trained actors and get ones of them sozzled. The compere explained to the audience that one actor is drunk, on this evening it happened to be Flora Sowerby, playing Lady Macbeth. Sowerby had consumed 2/3rds of a bottle of vodka and a beer before the show. Two audience members were then given a gong and a horn to alert the compere if they feel that Sowerby was at risk of sobering up – she would then immediately be given another drink.

We begin with Lady Macbeth forgetting her dagger and threatening the characters with jujitsu moves instead. She’s soon attacking the set with the dagger (which she later finds) and delivering the classic lines with a heavy-handed helping of expletives throughout.

During all of this, the remaining (sober) cast members are attempting to give the audience a performance of Macbeth, complete with the tragedy it’s known for and with the famous lines of the Bard. This leads to chaos, with a cast member at one point having to explain to the audience who everyone is supposed to be.

Shit-Faced Shakespeare is hilarious and wonderfully chaotic. I commend the sober actors for giving it their all throughout and allowing the show to play out in some form. Each of them possesses great improv skills and are able to think quickly on their feet, as they too do not know what will happen next.

This show would appeal to anyone – even those that aren’t massive Shakespeare fans would enjoy this. You truly never know what will happen next, and that is the beauty of Shit Faced Shakespeare. The show will be different each night, as a different cast member is chosen to get drunk – allowing different jokes and scenarios to play out. I for one cannot wait to see another production by this company.

Expect banter between cast members, absolute chaos and a riotously funny night out!

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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

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