Dermot Hoare was delighted to see the Shakespeare Revue come to the Yvonne Arnaud with a collection of witty music and skits written by the likes of Stephen Fry & Monty Python and all celebrating the life of The Bard. 4.5 STARS
As a past member of the Cambridge Footlights I was weaned on, and have always enjoyed, revues, a theatrical format that is now, sadly, out of fashion. So, I was delighted to see that The Shakespeare Revue had come to the Yvonne Arnaud. Starting with a prologue that emphasised how many of our everyday expressions come from the works of the Bard, a talented troupe of five, ably supported by Malcolm McKee at the piano, took us through thirty comical viewpoints of his works. A wealth of famous names contributing material including Alan Melville, Cole Porter, Fascinating Aida, Sandy Wilson, Stephen Fry and Victoria Wood to name but a few.
Most revues can be a bit like the proverbial Curate’s Egg – good in parts – but there were very few misses in last night’s programme. I particularly enjoyed seeing Shakespeare as it might be performed in the music halls and on the operatic stage. Then there was an interview with the man who only spoke in anagrams, a plea by some leading actors to be given a rest from the parts they always had to play and a master class in how to declaim Shakespeare. Finally, I am a sucker for Brush Up Your Shakespeare and, perhaps straying slightly from the plot, Let’s Do It.
My thanks then to Christopher Luscombe and Malcom McKee for resurrecting a very happy evening’s entertainment and for Lizzie Bea, Jordan Davies, Alex Morgan, Anna Stolli and Alex Fairley for playing the roles with such precision. It is sad that this show is only in Guildford for such a short run but, if you’re planning to buy a ticket, as the Bard might say ‘If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well. It were done quickly’.
For tickets visit yvonne-arnaud.co.uk
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