Shit-Faced Shakespeare is set to return to London and the Leicester Square Theatre, with their very unique twist on Much Ado About Nothing, we caught up with cast member Stacey Norris to find out what it’s all about.
Shit-Faced Shakespeare is coming back to London with Much Ado About Nothing, tell us what it’s all about?
Shit-faced Shakespeare is the hilarious combination of an entirely serious adaptation of a Shakespearian classic with a single, entirely shit-faced cast member. A group of soldiers return from the war and take solace at the house of a wealthy widow. Claudio and Hero fall madly, deeply in love only to be torn apart by the actions of the bastard Don John (he really is a terrific bastard). Benedick and Beatrice have a ‘merry war’ of wit but are finally brought together through an elaborate prank. With a masquerade ball, sword-fight, witty bants and audience interaction, what could possibly go wrong?
How do you decide which character gets to be shit-faced?
The drunk characters need to have a lot of interaction with the other characters, the fun arises from the drunk actor testing, pushing and playing with the sober actors (not in that way!). The actors rotate, each playing two parts and we now rota our drunk nights in order to save our livers!
You also have shows in America, how did that come about and how does it work?
We were approached by two American producers, who had great connections with venues in the US. We originally took our production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream to a theatre in Boston. We now have shows in Boston, Austin, Atlanta and Minnesota. The original UK cast fly out to each location to launch the show, we then cast an American cast and teach them how to do the show (it’s very scientific!). We now have four shows open in Boston: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, The Merchant of Venice and Romeo and Juliet. There has been 416 shows in the US to date and almost 60,000 people have seen the show (in the US alone!).
Do British audiences react differently to American audiences?
American audiences are very vocal. They respond to the actors with great passion. It really is a wonderful thing to be stood on stage as Helena saying to an audience “I am as ugly as a bear” to have them respond with “no your not, you go girl!” I feel it harks back to how things would have been at The Globe originally, with the groundlings being incredibly responsive.
Do most audiences know what they’ve booked, or has anyone ever been shocked to find a drunk character on stage?
The majority of people know what they are coming to see however lots of people are not sure whether to believe that the actor is really drunk. When they see what happens on stage… they are usually pretty confident that the intoxication is real…very real indeed!
Does this twist encourage people who wouldn’t ordinarily see Shakespeare to come along?
We have people in our audiences that have never watched a Shakespeare play before. We like to think they come to see a shit-faced actor and stay for the Shakespeare.
You’ll also be taking Romeo and Juliet to Brighton Fringe and Edinburgh Fringe, what’s the best thing about performing at a fringe festival?
The atmosphere and buzz around the festival is incredible. I love getting the chance to see such a varied and exciting programme of theatre. The Underbelly performers pass is a huge bonus as it means you get to see shows at the Underbelly for free (as long as they aren’t sold out). I try to see as much as I can. The night life is also pretty enjoyable!
What’s been your favourite character to play?
Definitely Beatrice! She’s witty, cunning and assertive…a gift of a part! Although, it is fantastic to play Hero drunk, Shakespeare didn’t write her much of a response to being shamed on her wedding day, however, a drunk actress certainly has a lot to say on the matter.
Much Ado About Nothing is at The Leicester Square Theatre for various dates between 11th April and 16th September. Romeo and Juliet will be at Brighton and Edinburgh Fringe. Full details can be found here.
