The premise of this play is simple: take a classic Shakespearean play and get one actor completely trolleyed.
A gong, bugle and a bucket is given to the audience, all used to ensure the allocated drunk actor stays drunk; though that night the bucket wasn’t necessary.
The Two Gentlemen Of Verona was being given the treatment that evening; not one of his most popular plays and one where the storyline is slightly confusing sober which, considering people were expecting lots of drinking proved difficult to follow at points.
The actress who played Silvia was chosen to be drunk for the night and proved perfect for a slightly merry Saturday night audience.
She acted as storyteller and audience mouthpiece with her asides betraying her true thoughts as well as helping to clarify the storyline of the play.
The actors alongside attempted to stay in character as they unsuccessfully tried to keep some premise of respectability. At points she was physically dragged offstage by the ‘host’ to ensure the piece kept flowing.
The story of the Two Gentlemen Of Verona is a mystery to most of the audience, but it’s a hilarious piece that takes Shakespeare back from the tittering libraries considered theatres today and irreverently recreated.
A perfect fringe piece.
Four stars
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