Shakespeare in the City are a subset of SEDOS that put on a Bardic bonanza each year for charity and, yes, this Shakespeare at the Stock Exchange is as silly as you might expect. Based on the script that made a long running West End hit, the parodic Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) is part improvised, relies on the chemistry between the 3 actors tackling it and a big bag of (quite dodgy) props, majoring in the wig department.
The Stock Exchange building on Paternoster Square is a nondescript concrete hulk containing a slick corporate interior, the presentation theatre part of which is not ideally suited to intimate theatrical performance, much atmosphere being sucked out through the air con. But turn up 2 sheets to the wind (careful though, there's proper security checks at the door) with a mind to have a laugh, remembering a time when you thought Shakespeare was BOOOOOOO-ring and with any luck the vomit gags, rapping, bad wigs and histrionic play acting will have you holding your sides rather than heading for the door. The idea that you can compound all the comedies into one bumper daft plot, that the Histories can be played out as a game of American Football and that Hamlet can be compressed into ever decreasing cycles are still fresh and funny and played here with bags of energy and personal elan. And is it just us or does Juliet sound pretty good parlaying with a petulant, streetwise, Catherine Tate style lingo, innit?
There are still a few tickets available for Friday night's performance: Tickets are £12.50 (£10 conc) and include a free glass of wine or beer. Doors 6pm, performance 7pm at 10 Paternoster Square, EC1M.
