![]() ![]() When casting As You Like It, I made an effort to bring on some fresh blood to shake things up a bit. Are they mainly people already involved in the local theater scene or do you have a lot of people new to performing? And the desire to out-do our last show!Ĭan you tell us a bit about the cast. That acceptance is allowing us to push the limits of our creativity on this project - from the interpretation of the text to the design of the aesthetics. We interviewed you back in November about the previous Drunk Shakespeare performance that you directed, how are you finding directing this time round compared to the previous time?Īfter playing to rowdy, enthusiastic sold out audiences for all of those performances last winter, we are going into this show with a lot more confidence! We feel safe to make bold choices, because we know that our audience is willing to go on the journey with us. As You Like It has big themes of community and identity, and I think those themes are really relevant for our mixed culture audience here in Beijing. This particular play showcases those two things perfectly. But I fell in love with these plays because of the relatable characters and the dirty jokes. Shakespeare’s plays are often viewed as some kind of academic, high culture. This time you’ll be performing As You Like It. ![]() Every show is different depending on who is drinking… But our format is pretty different from the original…Ī few actors names are pulled out of a hat, the lucky chosen actors must take three (or more!) shots of liquor before the show and three more during intermission! Expect hilarity and chaos to ensue while the remaining sober actors try and keep the script on track. I was inspired by the Drunk Shakespeare Society, who produce similar shows in Chicago and New York. The show combines two of my passions: the plays of William Shakespeare and alcoholic beverages. Hi Lauren we’re so excited for Drunk Shakespeare to be back! Firstly, for those unfamiliar with the show could you explain the concept behind it a little bit? With tickets going on sale today (Aug 29) we talked to director Laurel Burns who partnered with Middle Kingdom Creatives to bring this concept to Beijing. Now, after some Covid related delays, Drunk Shakespeare is back with As You Like It. The first time round saw three sold-out performances of Midsummer Night’s Dream put on by local theater enthusiasts with a drunken twist (more on that later). Well, with Drunk Shakespeare there is only one answer: drink!īack in December last year the capital was treated to a Shakespeare performance the likes of which had never been seen before: Drunk Shakespeare. In its outlandish way, it’s as carefully thought out and executed as any real “Macbeth.To drink or not to drink, that is the question. It’s not as improvised and spontaneous as the company would have you believe. It offers considerably more fun than many Shakespeare productions, worth experiencing not to watch an actor get drunk, but to watch a cast juggle so many balls so adroitly. ![]() Two audience members in particular are involved, having paid extra for the privilege of sitting on thrones, where they are given champagne, caviar and the right to order the designated drinker to drink even more shots. DRUNK SHAKESPEER LICENSEThe show’s alcoholic content also gives a certain license to the onlookers, who become participants in the festivities. ![]() Here’s how liberally: At one point, the standard version gave way to a scene between Sarah Palin and Rowlf the Muppet dog. Morris was always more or less in control as the cast raced through an abbreviated version of “Macbeth,” liberally mashed up with pop-culture and current-events references. It’s more like an enabler, allowing the actors (sober and drunk) to take all sorts of liberties with Shakespeare, but skillfully. What sets “Drunk Shakespeare” apart is that alcohol isn’t the main character. There’s a fair amount of impaired performing going around - “ Drunk History,” for instance, a television show on Comedy Central, and “Before the Morning After,” on the new Seeso streaming service. ![]()
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