Macbeth; The Scotch Play a smashing success with hilarious Shakespeare interpretation

Everyone has their favourite drinking games, but how many of them involve Shakespeare? Booze & the Bard brought their latest edition of drunken Shakespeare to Busselton’s Performing Arts Festival with Macbeth, The Scotch Play, a unique rendition that didn’t fail to have audiences in stitches. Before the show begins, audiences are transported back to the Elizabethan era with a Bridgerton-esque instrumental playlist welcoming the crowd to set the mood. Drunk antics start immediately with one of the five talented actors chosen to down four shots of whiskey straight off the bat. With myriad drinking rules for all on-stage, chaos ensues as the group aims to continue the show, with side-splitting results. At this particular performance, the drunken fool was Stephanie Ferguson, who presented a surprisingly composed and introspective Lady Macbeth for her inebriated state but was comedic gold as the ditsy, valley-girl inspired Malcolm. Adding to the chaos was Oscar Shiels in the role of the narrator, armed with a spinning wheel of prompts to make for hilarious interpretations of Shakespeare’s best moments. Jonathan Maddocks led the performance in the title role, his wit and sarcasm reminiscent of sitcom Community’s Jeff Winger. Special mention must go to Davis Anderson, who was a crowd favourite with his unwavering and hysterical portrayal of Banquo, seamlessly navigating a French and western accent. His ability to maintain conviction amidst the bizarre hurdles was a true testament to his skills. Also a treat was the small but mighty Hannah Anderson, her boisterous King Duncan (ding) a pleasure to watch. The show peaks in the notable duel between Macbeth and MacDuff, which is of course adapted to a high-stakes game of flip cup in this boozy rendition before becoming an all out brawl. The cast is also to be commended on their crafty stage-fighting skills, which earned multiple gasps from the audience. With a revolving door of possible outcomes, this comedy leaves you wanting more, regardless of whether you’re a Shakespeare fan or just love laugh. With no two performances are ever alike, this show is the perfect fringe-binge and should be at the top of your list if and when it returns to town.