Shakespeare for Breakfast now has something of an unassailable reputation at the Fringe. Despite this, not even the promise of tea and a croissant has stirred me to get out of bed before 11am and see what it has to offer. So at some perfectly acceptable time for the real world Ive finally experienced this notorious wake up classic. The Shakespeare play the company chooses, and how they approach it varies with each year. This year one of the great tragedies, King Lear, was seen through the eyes of any person corrupted by the pits of current television. Jeremy Kyle, Who wants to be a Million-heir and Gok Wan all get lampooned. The typically shallow emotions that are prominent in those shows are hilariously and cunningly exploited on where it applies within the compacted plot of King Lear. Its perfect for the morning show, with not too much mental pressure forced on the bleary eyed audience. If it had been in another context such as later in the day I may not have appreciated it so much. The scriptwriters had designed the pacing and general tone of the piece with all their experience of morning shows in mind. The actors are all absolutely fantastic, delivering comic lines and quirky characteristics. They manage to bring out plenty of comedy despite the morbid murder, deceit and dismemberment that riddles the original tragedy. Youll get a light hearted cabaret of singing, sketch comedy and plot spun by the master. If youre about in the morning and want a great way to start the day, then start it with a brew, something clever and a laugh.
