At the Edinburgh Festival Fringe there is always room for Shakespeare with a twist, and this year that twist arrives in the form of Muse: The Shakespeare Mayhem Musical. Created by students of Interlochen Arts Academy and making its Fringe debut at Underbelly following an industry presentation in New York, it is an ambitious and heartfelt new musical with plenty of promise.
The premise is an inventive one. William Shakespeare has been offered the opportunity to publish one of his plays for the first time. The catch is that he can only choose one. Having written so many stories, how can he possibly decide? As he drifts into a dreamlike state, Puck appears and introduces him to a host of familiar characters, each determined to prove why their story deserves the honour.
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, King Lear, Juliet, Cleopatra, Beatrice and Portia all step forward to make their case. Naturally, in a musical, persuasion arrives through song, with each character given the chance to showcase their appeal in a bid to win Shakespeare’s favour.
Hanna Andréa’s music and lyrics are consistently strong and often genuinely beautiful. The score is easy on the ear, full of polished melodies and thoughtfully crafted lyrics. Andréa and Lisa Sanderson’s book is similarly accessible, offering enough references to satisfy Shakespeare enthusiasts without alienating those less familiar with the canon.
The cast serves the material exceptionally well. Vocally, the company is impressive throughout, with Karis Brizendine and Thom Bergamo particularly standing out thanks to their powerful performances and commanding stage presence. Every performer commits wholeheartedly to the concept, helping to sell the show’s more whimsical moments.
Where Muse: The Shakespeare Mayhem Musical struggles is in delivering on the promise of its title. A show advertising mayhem suggests high energy, chaos and a sense of irreverent fun. Instead, much of the score leans towards ballads and reflective numbers. While these songs are undeniably well written, they create a gentler atmosphere that occasionally slows the pace and leaves the production feeling more earnest than anarchic.
Similarly, Mindy Cooper’s direction and the sparse staging, centred largely around Shakespeare’s desk and chair, never quite generate the visual spectacle or colourful disorder that the premise seems to invite.
Still, the students of Interlochen Arts Academy deserve enormous credit for creating and developing their own original work. With some reconsideration of how the show is positioned and a greater embrace of the mayhem promised in its title, Muse: The Shakespeare Mayhem Musical has the foundations of something genuinely special.
Listings and ticket information can be found here
