Sarah
- Jul 27
- 3 min read

A Midsummer's Night's Dream - performed by Sh!t-Faced Shakespeare

It's hard to believe that Sh!t-Faced Shakespeare has been resident in London’s Leicester Square Theatre for eight years, but that I hadn't been to one of their productions. So I was thrilled to be invited to review A Midsummer's Night's Dream (my favourite Shakespeare play), anticipating a fun-filled evening.

Our glamourous compere for the evening, warmed up the audience, throwing in a few rhyming couplets for good measure. For those of us that were new to the experience she explained the concept (it was about 50/50 people who'd been to a different production by the company/those of us fresh to the concept). Of the 6 classically trained actors we about to see perform this much-loved play, 1 of them had been plied with drink before the show. We were duly shown the empty bottles and cans allegedly consumed by the actor. I say allegedly, because I think most people would struggle to make it on stage, let alone attempt to act, with that much booze inside them! A different member of the cast is selected to be the drunk at each performance, which if they really are drinking that much pre-show the rotation may help save their livers!

4 actors asleep in a pile on the stage, with 2 actors standing behind them — The cast asleep under the drugs of Oberon and Puck. Photo credit Andrew AB photography

A couple of members of the audience were respectively given a horn and a tambourine, and given instructions to use them if they thought that the drunk actor was in danger of sobering up. At which point the compere would pour another drink for the actor. Another member of the audience in the front row was given a large bucket to catch bodily fluids in case of a drunken emergency. As he was sitting directly in front of us, I was very much hoping that it wouldn't be needed!

As the play started I found myself watching the actors intently trying to spot which one was drunk, it didn't take too long to work it out. What ensued was a mash-up of the play played straight, it going off on tangents, and a lot of improv. The cast deserves immense credit for their adaptability and quick-wittedness. Their ability to seamlessly incorporate the drunk actor’s unpredictability while maintaining the storyline is a testament to their skill and camaraderie. They deliver their lines with the eloquence and passion befitting Shakespeare, yet remain flexible enough to embrace the chaos, creating a perfect balance of order and disorder.

Puck centre stage with actors on the floor and 2 dressed as fairies standing — The mad dream scene. Photo credit Andrew AB photography

I think that it's helpful to have a grasp of what should be happening in the play to really appreciate quite how bonkers this performance is. The drug fuelled dream sequence shown in the photo above, is the scene that has stayed with me the longest.

Don’t miss the chance to witness this delightful fusion of classical theatre and contemporary comedy—it's a show that leaves you smiling long after the final curtain call.

Where: Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, London, WC2H 7BX

Booking: Sh!t-faced Shakespeare®: A Midsummer Night's Dream - Leicester Square Theatre

When: Until 7th September 2024

Start time: 7pm

Running time: Approx. 1 hour 50 mins (inc. Interval)

UK Tour:

Princes Hall, Aldershot (26 September),

Stratford Play House, Stratford-upon-Avon (27 September),

Palace Theatre, Southend (1 October),

Wyvern Theatre, Swindon (2 October),

Blackburn Empire Theatre (3 October),

Storyhouse, Chester (4 October),