There are many many different genres and types of shows available to see at the Edinburgh fringe but take a stroll down the royal mile and I can pretty much guarantee that you will end up with at least half a dozen flyers for various improv shows. Coming from a girl who absolutely loves a good improv, the range of choices in the genre at the festival can be a little overwhelming. There are musicals, hospital drama, murder mystery, crime scene investigation, the list could go on and on and every single one wants you to buy tickets to their show. Therefore, in this hot bed of improv activity, a show simply has to make themselves stand out from the crowd. So, when you see performers strutting down the mile in Shakespearean garb, they catch your eye, and an improv might just be the last thing you expect, but here we are. Introducing Shake It Up, the improvised Shakespeare show, which was a new discovery for this big-time improv fan this year.
Okay, hands up. I have always struggled with Shakespeare. I’ve seen a few and I’ve enjoyed them very much so, but admittedly I understood the stories in context but some of the language and intricacies were more than little lost on me. So, when the opportunity arose to combine Shakespeare with improv, it seemed a perfect way to more gently ease me into understanding it all, knowing that the story would be made up on the spot and all that. Less complicated, more silliness, and that’s exactly what I got even when the audience at the show I attended massively voted in favour of a tragedy instead of a comedy.
Based on suggestions from the audience for an enemy and a setting, we were treated to a performance of The Tragedy of Steven of Madrid, and a battle is brewing over the ownership of a theatre. You have the king and his man servant, Antonio and Rodrigo, and Steven and his lover Jessica. Steven owns the theatre having stolen it from the king, and the king wants his back, whilst all the servant wants is to win back the heart of Jessica. What follows has the plot twists and turns, crimes and murder that you would expect from a Shakespearean tragedy laced with laugh out loud comedy and chaos.
Everything is made up on the spot, complete with improvised music, creating a story that delights the audience, makes sense and has everyone, including the cast smiling and laughing. A clever extra added in here is dialogue suggestions from the audience, written on strips of paper that are then tucked into the cast’s costumes and not looked at until they pick one at random and have to say the line as written, no matter what. A single line from the audience could change the story’s direction entirely, adding an extra level of improv hilarity to the madness of it all.
It is wonderful to see the cast having so much fun with it, sharing their own laughter with the audience whilst showcasing their teamwork in their ability to piece together a story that not only makes sense but also stays within the Shakespeare theme in the use of the language and style. I also have to congratulate the cast on their ability to stay focused with the music and such coming from the next-door venue in their cosy space in the Dram at Patter House.
Shake It Up present something completely unique with their Shakespeare with a twist, making the sometimes-difficult genre to understand accessible for all with laughter and silliness whilst maintaining the style. It’s an hour of laugh out loud fun which will leave you with the biggest smile on your face.
Shake It Up The Improvised Shakespeare Show runs daily at 1pm at The Dram, Gilded Balloon at Patter House until Monday 26th August.
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