Search

Saved articles

You have not yet added any article to your bookmarks!

Browse articles

GDPR Compliance

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies, Privacy Policy, and Terms of Service.

Shakespeare for Breakfast

 
Alec Martin Review by Alec Martin 3 Published: 3 Aug 2025 C ARTS | C venues | C aurora Show Dates: 30 Jul 2025-24 Aug 2025

C Theatre’s breakfast institution – now pleasing crowds since the early ’90s – returns with the Sittingbourne All Stars, a panto-honed posse determined to squeeze every last giggle from Macbeth before most of us have finished our first latte. The recipe is familiar but undeniably appetising: a free croissant and choice of tea, coffee, or fruit juice as you go in, followed by a 50-minute gallop through one of Shakespeare’s gloomier tragedies before you go out.

This is an ensemble that radiates early-morning warmth.

Performance-first values are on bold display as the troupe workshop their way through The Scottish Play. The cast attacks the material with gusto, ricocheting between light-hearted banter, jaunty song-and-dance breaks, and a witch-fronted cooking show that would make Nigella reach for the broomstick. A noir-tinged détour en français, complete with berets and smoky voiceovers, adds some madcap bravado, and it's all frightfully nice and usually a lot of fun.

Yet for every inspired flourish, another gag lands with a politely baffled thud. The sanitised approach to Macbeth’s darker beats keeps things croissant-friendly, but a lot of it is fun rather than funny. It's absolutely fine, but without treachery’s grit, the comedy occasionally feels bubble-wrapped.

Still, credit where it’s due: this is an ensemble that radiates early-morning warmth, and their knockabout camaraderie papers over any structural cracks. Families, school groups, and hung-over festivalgoers will leave caffeinated, sugared, and gently entertained – if not profoundly moved. Solid, slightly uneven, but delivered with verve, Shakespeare for Breakfast offers a cheerful start to the Fringe day that proves even a blood-lite Macbeth can raise a smile before noon.

Related to this article:

Location:

Performances

The Blurb:

The Bardic Breakfasters are back with a brand-new show, with breakfast included! A pleasing plethora of pentameter, puns and pastry. A sensational Shakespearience, perfect for hardened fans and blank-verse virgins alike. ‘A bouncy and boisterous take on Willie’s work’ (List). ‘Well worth getting out of bed for’ (Independent). ‘No holds Bard‘ (FringeGuru.com). ‘Irreverent humour… clever’ (Stage). ‘Side-splitting… glorious’ (BroadwayBaby.com). ‘Full of fun’ (RemoteGoat.com). ‘Sizzling’ (Scottish Daily Express). Free coffee and croissants! Fringe favourite since 1992. Book early.