Popular Productions is bringing the acclaimed show Shakespeare Abridged to Abu Dhabi this month.
Shakespeare can be a kerfuffle of dialogue and soliloquies to many. The Popular Productions new stage-show is bringing the Bard’s perfect prose with a fast-paced comical twist, which is sure to lighten the mood. The performance will be in Abu Dhabi on November 28-29, and will star Matt Addis, Peter Brooke and its director, John Payton, and is being produced by Lucy Magee.
The original abridged version was performed and written in 1987 by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield. It has since become one of the longest-running comedy productions in London’s the West End.
The 97-minute pantomime features all 38 of Shakespeare’s plays, but abridged, such as Othello as a rap song, Titus Andronicus as a cooking show and Hamlet backwards in 30 seconds.
The production has been taken around the globe to millions. It parodies the playwright’s works in an affectionate manner and includes audience interaction, and only three actors. TOAD sat down with them to find out more.
Shakespeare Abridged has a great approach to The Bard. Do you think it will resonate well with audiences in Abu Dhabi?
John: Shakespeare is pretty universal to all nations. His characters and words have such a power that any audience is genuinely seduced by the plays. So when you condense all of the best bits, and some of the worst bits into a 97-minute show, it’s always going to be fun. We have a lot of contemporary pop culture references in the script too, so it should go down well, yes.
Matt: I think Abu Dhabi is used to welcoming the greatest and most spectacular of events, and they’re certainly not going to be disappointed by this show! The complete works of the world’s greatest playwright, squeezed into a convenient 97-minutes of action-packed, easily-digested Elizabethan genius. With jokes!
Peter: Well, it’s got a silliness that makes good old Bill the Bard very accessible, so I’d say it would appeal to many ages and walks of life. Unless you’ve had your funny bone removed!
Do you experience any negativity to this kind of approach?
John: I’m sure there might be the odd Shakespeare scholar who frowns on this approach to the Bard, but scholars are usually terribly boring people, right? They need to lighten up!
What’s the best part of approaching Shakespeare in this way, for you?
John: It’s so much fun to pick and mix the famous bits from his complete works, anything goes really. We present the plays in a kind of furious, physical storm to the audience, laced with as many jokes and silly bits as we can come up. It just makes it so much more accessible.
John, how do you manage acting and directing?
Barely! No, seriously, I have a great team around me and very, very good co-actors who make me look better than I actually am. I also drink lots of tea.
How do you keep energy levels up for this kind of production?
Matt: I always try to stay as fit as possible, running and working out regularly. When we’re in performance I try not to do too much in the hours before a show, have a well balanced meal and often a short nap before heading to the theatre.
Peter: I don’t know about Matt and John, but personally I favour a live gerbil in my pantaloons – keeps me on my toes.
Do you think this approach helps people understand Shakespeare in some ways?
Matt: The real beauty of this show is that it truly has something for everyone – it’s written as a zippy comedy and if you’ve never even seen Shakespeare before it will give you a hilarious taster for many of the plays. If you’re a knowledgeable fan it delivers a biting satire on both the content and the form of the canon. There are intellectual fireworks and plenty of frat-style slapstick.
Peter: What the gerbil? No, seriously, like I mentioned, I think our show helps to make Shakespeare understandable and ‘reachable’. It steers the audience away from the scholarly and erudite… I’m not even sure what those words mean, but John told me to use them or he’d beat me.
What’s the best part for you as the actors?
Matt: One of the greatest challenges comes in Act II when we perform Hamlet – forwards, backwards and in various other ways I’m not allowed to reveal to you. The real joy for me comes in audiences’ reactions to the show – from seeing a wide-eyed eight-year old completely drawn in to the action, to his grandmother laughing so much she has tears rolling down her cheeks. Like any show, above all our job is to entertain, and when we do that in style, it’s the greatest thrill in the world.
Peter: I’d have to say that it’s the fast cars and the rock and roll lifestyle. And I love our Hamlet. It’s such a crazy whirlwind!
This rendition of the greatest writer of all time is not to be missed. Lucy warns ‘Be ready to join in the fun – every audience member has a part to play in each performance – literally. Be afraid, be very afraid if you are sitting in the front row!’
Al Jaheli Theatre, Armed Forces Officers Club. Tickets cost from Dhs160 available from www.timeouttickets.com. For more information on the show visit www.completeshakespeare.co.uk.
