Review: Living Shakespeare
Picture: Living Shakespeare cast (credit: Creative Futures Photography).
Living Shakespeare is a clever way to pull five well-known Shakespearean monologues into one show—introduced, as our hostess checked tickets and welcomed the audience, as her ‘exhibition [...of ] my life’s work [...and ] obsessions.’’ It’s a pity that some of the audience members were late arriving for the performance, which slightly delayed the start of the show, but I suppose that just built the anticipation. And I really enjoyed the stylish welcome and the excellent direction of the audience—including cues to applaud (and stop) and the careful sorting into groups. I was also impressed by the careful warnings before the audience members were invited into each ‘exhibit’ (room), and reassuring reminders about how easy it would be to return to the main area at any time.
As the audience for the 5pm show was split into two groups, the ‘exhibits’ (performers) had to repeat each act twice. My comments here are in the order of the group I joined; it would be interesting to see the show again, and see how following a different path might affect the overall experience.
The first room was my least favourite of the four. Orsino’s frenzied and mournful Twelfth Night speech (‘If music be the food of love, play on; Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting, The appetite may sicken, and so die’) was an interesting interpretation. The setting and direction ensured we experienced a very contemporary reading of the text, complete with the focus on the phone, texting, and playing of music. But I would certainly have preferred implied (rather than actual) vaping.
Once told to leave Orsino alone with their sorrow—the first of many excellent ways in which to move the audience on to the next room—we were soon introduced to the second exhibit. This mesmerising up-close performance of the (Lady) Macbeth ‘Make thick my blood, Stop up the access and passage to remorse’ speech was powerful, and quite moving. I guess I was not the only one to shudder as Lady Macbeth extended a bloodied hand (‘Come, come, come, come, give me your hand [...] to bed, to bed, to bed!) to lead the one of our fellow audience members from the room.
Picture: Twelfth Night (Credit: Creative Futures Photography)
Picture: Hamlet (picture credit: Creative Futures Photography).
Picture: The Taming of the Shrew (Credit: Creative Futures Photography).
The third room was introduced to us as a ‘bit of fun.’ But, as we met a character from Hamlet, Ophelia as a drug-taking party animal had a very dark side. This piece included some great music choices, but it all seemed to be a little too long; I certainly felt that the lip-synch dance routine(s) needed to be edited back. However, I am so pleased to have seen the ‘mad’ scene spoken directly to the audience, as this was a powerful way in which to experience Ophelia’s sad and mad “there’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance; pray, love, remember...”
The fourth scene was presented in an outside room. We all sat around a table, and nervously awaited our next character (and by this stage I was beginning to feel a little like Scrooge, awaiting the visitation of the next Christmas ghost). In this final room we experienced a powerful reinterpretation of Kate’s (The Taming of the Shrew) ‘Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper, Thy head, thy sovereign’ speech. The excellent performance invoked an almost visceral response from some members of the audience when the ‘why are our bodies soft and weak and smooth’ lines were spoken while portraying the ‘sewing up’ of the self-harm/suicide attempts of a domestic violence victim.
Congratulations to Apt.13 Productions (co-artistic directors Ally Hicky and Sarah McNally) on their latest show, which concluded with the bringing together of the full audience for a musical number. Our elegant hostess led the singing, and her final Hamlet ‘To be, or not to be, that is the question’ words were an appropriate way in which to end the experience. Not in my top three for the 2023 Anywhere Festival but, at only $5 a monologue, Living Shakespeare was a good value Shakespearean selection.
Verdict: A clever way in which to present (and occasionally repurpose) well-known Shakespearean monologues.
Picture: Macbeth (image credit: Creative Futures Photography)
Audience information: Living Shakespeare was performed at two venues in the 2023 Anywhere Festival—including at The Hills District Community Centre, Arana Hills (26-27 May, 2023). 50 minutes, no interval. Suggest aim to arrive early as the show does not start until all audience members arrive. Immersive/promenade (some seating). Domestic violence, suicide, drug references and other subject triggers. The use of vaping/smoke in one room (I suggest 15+). Tickets $20 (general admission). Free on-site parking available.
The reviewer attended the 27 May 2023 5pm performance.