The scene is Renaissance Europe. The Pope is hell-bent on delivering an address to prevent Queen Liz from converting England from Catholicism to Protestantism. The Queen has plans of her own to counter this papish attack. Theatre is politics, right? Entereth Shakespeare and his Avengers. They have but six days to write and perform a play that will save the day and the nation. However, the High Inquisitor has other plans...
Drake’s Drummer’s Theatre Company have devised a very silly, very funny show that will entertain the most steel-hearted of Shakespeare fans.
Drake’s Drummer’s Theatre Company have devised a very silly, very funny show that will entertain the most steel-hearted of Shakespeare fans. The script is excellent and the delivery on point. The “Avengers” consist of Romeo, Juliet, Hamlet, Kate the ‘shrew’, Macbeth, Brutus and a very confused Hamlet. The High Inquisitor finds out about the anti-Catholic conspiracy posed by the Bard and commands that some Shakespearean “villains” join the fray. (In truth, his advising cardinal suggests this plan, the High Inquisitor not being a man of letters himself. We know this because he scoffs at a fictitious figure called “Chris,” and declares that even crucifixion would not be good enough for such a character.) The “villains” are comprised of Tybalt, Prince of Cats, Iago and... Ophelia?
Comic highlights are the recurring intervals at which the bemused Hamlet calls for Banquo, and speaks to Yorick’s skull rather like a ventriloquist might speak to his dummy. The High Inquisitor decides that since Tybalt is so fond of cats, he may as well play a cat himself. Ophelia simply will not learn to stay away from water. Brutus, the underdog, will not stop stabbing people in the back.
‘Shakespeare’s Avengers’ is original and highly amusing, if not groundbreaking: an hour of well-scripted, absurd and very silly Shakepeareana.
