Have you ever wondered what a professional stage show would look like it if everything went wrong? Shit-Faced Shakespeare aims to make your dreams a reality. With five professionally trained Shakespearian actors, A-list productions aims to show Adelaide how a top-notch Shakespeare play is supposed to be. Oh wait. Where did all these beer bottles come from? Where did the tequila go? Oh nooooo.

I have seen this show a few times over the years and I can tell you this is a genuine show. These are five classically trained actors. One of them is over-the-top, shit-faced drunk. Each night is a new adventure on how to manage a production where one performer won’t cooperate. This year A-List bring A Midsummer Night’s Dream to the Adelaide Fringe. Midsummer is already a roaring comedy on its own. Add in an actor who can’t stand straight let alone remember any of his or her lines and you get champagne comedy. The other four actors play the rest of the show as straight as possible. As if they are putting on a play while an inebriated tornado tears everything apart.

This show will differ depending on the night you go. Having been a couple times I can say that the different performers are very different drunks. The little blonde woman is a riot and doesn’t even try to remember her lines or stage directions and really just stumbles around on stage. The taller bearded actor is much better at holding things together but will still forget his lines and say random stuff when he’s lost.

Either way you slice it Shit-Face Shakespeare is raucous and comical show. Regardless of who downed how much liquor the audience will always be treated with a humorous show. This may be the best way to introduce someone to classical Shakespeare and start a love affair with classical literature or maybe just a love affair with booze.

Shit-Faced Shakespeare is performing in Gluttony every night excepts Mondays until March 17th.

Words by Jonathon Tonkin

Images by Rah Petherbridge

WHERE: Rymill Park, Corner of East Tce and Rundle Rd, Adelaide