Skip to main content

'Shakespeare Pick and (re)Mix!’ // Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble

 The ‘2022 Fringe Brisbane’ festival is a chance for independent and local artists to bring their works to the stage, and Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble’s production of ‘Shakespeare Pick and (re)Mix!’ was nothing short of a fantastic night out. Held in the heart of Fortitude Valley at Elements Collective, the audience saw ‘Express Macbeth’, ‘Half Hour Hamlet’ and ‘Instant Romeo & Juliet’ characters each try to convince the audience why their story deserved to be told. 

As the crowd entered the makeshift theatre, members of the ensemble shoved signs in their faces, asking for votes…very similar to Australia’s election polling booths. Each play was given 30 seconds to give their elevator pitch to the audience for the chance to perform their play on this night (after a fantastic Hamilton-style rap sequence). On 14 October, Hamlet was victorious.

After a marvellous introduction, the audience was instructed in true Shakespearean style to make night noises, be involved with the production and scream “encore” at the end. (Back in the Elizabethan era, it was customary for the peasants, or audience, to shout out “boo” at the villain, etc.)

Shakespeare lovers and haters alike watched a shortened version of the tragedy ‘Hamlet’, affectionately dubbed ‘Half Hour Hamlet.’ Over 30 minutes, the audience saw the wonderful highlights of the play coupled with some incomparable costume changes. However, what happened next was a true spectacle: the ensemble shortened the story not once, but twice! The ending round saw the story of ‘Hamlet’ performed from start to finish in five minutes flat.

Director Rebecca Murphy has created a truly hilarious evening out for Fringe Brisbane. Murphy has clearly worked and trained these actors to embody Shakespeare’s characters for such a fast-paced performance. The set design was extremely simple, however very useful: four small velcro boxes were utilised and easily moved into many positions –perfect for the creation of different shows. Lighting was basic, using the overhead LED bulbs for the entirety of the show.

The ensemble consisted of Leah Fitzgerald-Quinn, Liliana Macarone, Rebecca Murphy, Dudley Powell, Rebekah Schmidt and Angus Thorburn. All members of the ensemble came out for this production with an absolutely crazy amount of energy that did not falter. Each ensemble member brought their character to life in this production and had the entire audience engaged from the moment we walked into the venue. 

Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble has created a hilarious and fantastic night out in the heart of Brisbane! Get on down to catch this awesome production or book for another show as part of the Brisbane Fringe Festival.

Original Article: https://www.theatrehaus.com/2022/10/shakespeare-pick-and-remix-queensland-shakespeare-ensemble/

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review: The Haunting - Tugun Theatre Company

Written by Jake Goodall There is nothing better than heading to the theatre on a cold & rainy night to watch a gothic play about a haunting, and Tugun Theatre's recent production of The Haunting proved there is still a space for horror ghost plays in the world.  Based on the Charles Dickens Novel (and adapted by Hugh Janes), the story follows a young book dealer, David Filde, when he is employed by a former associate of his uncle to catalog a private library, he finds an incredible array of rare and antiquated books. But as a series of strange and unexplained events conspire to keep Filde from his work, he realises that if he is to convince his skeptical employer that the mysterious phenomena he is experiencing are real, they must journey together to the very edge of terror, and beyond. This reviewer was lucky to see the West End hit production The Women in Black recently at the Playhouse, QPAC which set the bar for horror ghost stories, and with the resources available to them...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: Medea - Queensland Theatre

Written by Grace Wilson From little things, big things grow. It’s a saying that is so Australian and so rooted in our culture. It inspires and it gives hope. Everyone knows of this saying and the song attached to it, but never have we experienced a situation where this saying comes to mind. That is until  Queensland Theatre’s production of Medea by Anne-Louise Sarks and Kate Mulvaney, directed by Daniel Evans. This adaptation of this famous Greek tragedy focuses on the perspective of the two sons of Jason and Medea. In the original myth, we see little to no actual story from these two young boys - so to see an adaptation from a frankly inaccessible storyline in the traditional drama was a bold and incredibly smart choice. To truly appreciate the way the playwrights took this traditional myth and flipped it on its head, a knowledge of the actual myth was required because the subtleties of references could easily be missed. The play ranged from blatant acknowledgments of the traditio...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: Freshblood Festival - Vena Cava

Written By Thor Morrison Upcoming creatives need a place to experiment, to prosper, to explore, and even to sometimes miss the mark. It is essential that spaces that allow this to happen exist, especially in a world obsessed with perfectionism. The Freshblood Festival is an annual event run by QUT Student Theatre Company Vena Cava, focused on young writers and performers, and it does just that. It provides a space for the new and upcoming creatives of Brisbane and surrounds to experiment, have fun, and create really exciting performances. Held at BackDock Arts in Fortitude Valley, and running over two consecutive weekends, it is a massive endeavour Vena Cava have given themselves. 14 independent shows, two play readings, and 8 music acts ensure that Freshblood has something for everyone to enjoy, and shows the variety and scale of the Festival itself. Drama Dispatch was able to attend most of the second weekend, seeing a total of seven shows and a play reading, and was greatly impresse...
Post a Comment
Read more