Review: Bad Shakespeare, Fringe 2024

“Shakespeare isn’t a weak bitch”, or something like that, was my favourite line from “Bad Shakespeare” and one of many that got a strong reaction from the crowd.

“Bad Shakespeare” reminded me of YouTube video essays that I’m fond of when someone smarter than me and good at explaining things to idiots like me to help me understand the wonder in a painting or the talent shown by a poet.

I’ve seen over a dozen shows in this year’s festival season, and “Bad Shakespeare” currently holds the record for best audience reactions. There were whoops and hollas.

The problem? I wasn’t keeping up. My Shakespeare-fu must be too low, and my brain too cob-webbed.

The premise of “Bad Shakespeare” is that we’re going to look at the villains created by the bard and understand what made them tick. There would be some essay-like exposition and then some scenes. For example, a performer might say, “And in this scene, we see that Lady MacBeth wants to be evil…” and then we’d get a bit of Lady MacBeth, the audience would hoot, and I was still translating Shakespeare’s English into mine. I was still working out what Lady Macbeth had said, let alone taking the point she was hoping to be a cold-blooded cow.

Tone

“Bad Boys, Bad Boys, who ya going call when they come for you? “… you know the song. I associate with the Will Smith movies and the Cops TV show. It’s American, bold and in your face — and the song is sung here, and that tone is transplanted here.

I liked it. I liked the contemporary explanations and conversations. There was no escaping from the fact that we were watching a group of talented young Americans, so we might as well roll with it.

As noted, what I struggled with was connecting the points made in these bridges and asides to the samples of Shakespeare that the trope then treated the room too

Shakespeare was both ahead of his time and a man of his time. There was no discussion (that I could see) of whether his villains had too much racial or ethnic stereotyping, whether they treated mental health and instability fairly, or whether physical disfigurement was used to indicate someone was evil. I think there should have been.

However, the point of Bad Shakespeare is that these villains are complex and layered people. They’re not supposed to be cardboard cutouts.

Also, this is a rapid-fire play. There is a lot in it. As much as the tempo kept the energy sky high and kept the whole audience leaning in, I do wonder if the Tommy gun delivery of points and lines was one of the reasons I struggled to keep up.

What to expect

The Thistle Studio in Riddles Court is a great venue, but queuing for it can be stressful as you’ll often have to wait outside. The weather began to break as I kettle-belled in the wifi-free and mobile signal dead end.

As you take your seats, the talents of Theatre OCU mill around. It’s an act. They’re doing their vocal warm-ups, stretches, and acting all thespian. Then, on cue, they spring to life.

Once “Bad Shakespeare” starts, don’t expect a let-up until it’s over.

Nicely, we’re told the format; there will be five chapters to this essay, and each chapter addresses a topic. For example, “nature versus nurture” – are Shakespeare’s villains born evil, or made so?

HIgh energy is good but I’m sure some scenes could have been slowed down and would therefore have been easier for a Shakespeare rookie like me to parse. I don’t think it was bad acting. I think it was an ambition to get as much in as possible.

Overall

I wanted to improve my Shakespeare lore when I booked “Bad Shakespeare”, and I’ve surely succeeded,

However, I’m also frustrated because I think I missed at least four for every five proof points, which were apparently served to me on a silver platter. 

You don’t need to be a Shakespeare expert to enjoy “Bad Shakespeare,” but it helps if you know a little about most of the plays mentioned. I liked the energy, not the urgency.