The Improvised Shakespeare Show at the Other Palace

When walking into the auditorium to the instrumental cover of Barbie Girl being smashed out on the lute, the audience immediately know they’re not in for a Shakespearean tale as they know it. Sia’s Cheap Thrills poppin’ off on the flute? The Globe could never.

Fresh from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the company hasn’t just taken on the challenge of re-writing Shakespeare, but completely reinventing it on the spot. This isn’t just a reimagining; it’s an improvised spectacle where anything can happen.

This improv play takes character names, genre, title and location from the audience, ensuring each performance is a unique creation. Written line suggestions, placed in a tankard before the show, are ready to be picked out of pantaloons when inspiration is needed, adding an element of surprise even for the actors.

Treated to a double bill, the first play performed landed us in the history genre as we were moved by the tale of Keith of Southend and his feud with the King of Barking. No longer satisfied with his record-breaking pier, Keith sets out to kill the King of Barking in order to claim the Central line as his own. Spurred on by his jealous rage of Barking’s direct route into central London, the King faces treason from his own brother, the love and loss of his wife, as well as many an aside and soliloquy. The interplay of historical elements with modern, whimsical twists had the audience both laughing out loud and gripped with intrigue.

Clarissa, Keith’s pregnant wife, whom he entraps within a hall of mirrors at the end of the pier, returns as the heroine for the second play – The Comedy of Clarissa of Glasgow. Unfolding within the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Clarissa sets out to wed her son, however, develops her own love-interest with Clive the Curator who dabbles in witchcraft and a whole myriad of mis-identities. All’s well that ends well, however, as the Catholic Church makes an exception to her son’s throuple marriage, as well as her own wedding to omniscient audience member Paul. This dramatic turn of events, layered with absurdity and unexpected resolutions, left theatregoers in stitches.

Full of twists and turns, generating audible gasps from the crowd, it all sounds completely bonkers, and that’s because it is. The company’s performance is not just a play; it’s an experience that immerses attendees in a world where the lines between the past and present, the real and the fantastical, blur seamlessly. The inventiveness and spontaneous creativity displayed on stage are a testament to the troupe’s talent.

The company are ridiculously hilarious and completely inexhaustive. They have a brilliant ability to conjure belly-aching laughter with sidesplitting one-liners and constantly engaging, quick-witted and absolutely absurd narratives. This Bard-based ballyhoo is a great night out, and this writer for one will be returning for another Shakespearean spin-off. If you’re looking for a night of entertainment that celebrates the unexpected, this show is a must-see.

Olivia Gardener
Photos: ShakeItUp Theatre

The Improvised Shakespeare Show is at the Other Palace from 10^th until 13^th July 2024. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.