To quote Polonius, “brevity is the soul of wit” – and the proof is the #15secondshakespeare trend on Twitter. Users, mostly actors, have been sharing 15-second videos in which they recite song lyrics with the chops usually reserved for the most dramatic of Shakespeare scenes, and then nominate others to do the same. Here are some of the best.
Amanda Abbington does Pharrell Williams’s Happy:
@FisayoAkinade @rebeccacallard nominate: @RalfLittle Martin Freeman and @daisy_haggard #15secondshakespeare pic.twitter.com/oOCubQG6J4
— amanda abbington (@CHIMPSINSOCKS) September 20, 2015
Cynthia Erivo does Beyoncé’s Single Ladies:
#15secondshakespeare I nominate @JadeAnouka pic.twitter.com/goQDFNaled
— Cynthia Erivo (@CynthiaEriVo) September 20, 2015
Minnie Driver does Kanye West and Jamie Foxx’s Gold Digger:
@davidfynn #kanye made me go full Staurt. #15secondshakespeare I also nominate @SirPatStew pic.twitter.com/j23c4vfDIs
— Minnie Driver (@driverminnie) September 19, 2015
Jenna Russell does Pulp’s Common People:
Ok..Christ! thanks @amyhubcast @davidfynn @theamzi @SheenCaroline @MPShaeffer #15secondshakespeare #craft #Pulp pic.twitter.com/tZWC8UG938
— Jenna Russell (@jennarusselluk) September 20, 2015
Fisayo Akinade does Nicki Minaj’s Anaconda:
Thanks for the nomination @MPShaeffer I nominate. @rebeccacallard and @CHIMPSINSOCKS #15secondshakespeare pic.twitter.com/2fHnA4pxLD
— Fisayo Akinade (@FisayoAkinade) September 20, 2015
Aneurin Barnard does Gina G’s Ooh Aah Just a Little Bit:
Thank you @amyhubcast so #15secondshakespeare #GinaG pic.twitter.com/jzU5NevAUO
— Aneurin Barnard (@aneurinBarnard) September 19, 2015
Andy Nyman does S Club 7’s Reach:
@theamzi @amyhubcast @mikejibson @theamzi Your wish is my command #15secondshakespeare! pic.twitter.com/sJJPH1gsEU
— Andy Nyman (@andynyman) September 20, 2015
Edd Post does Meghan Trainor’s All About that Bass:
@meghan_trainor Thanks @Willbarratt83. I nom @mayaflock @teejaye84 @mattnalton #15secondshakespeare pic.twitter.com/Tu0h8tWqta
— Edd Post (@eddpost) September 21, 2015
Mark Bonnar does PSY’s Gangnam Style:
Thanks for the nom @amyhubcast Calling @Jason__Watkins @EnzoCilenti and @EdStoppard #15secondshakespeare pic.twitter.com/xVJ5Vvipuf
— Mark Bonnar (@mark_bonnar) September 20, 2015
Alec Newman does Huey Lewis and the News’s The Power of Love:
#15secondshakespeare thanks @bongle1974 @amyhubcast I nominate @smoyer and @charitywakefld pic.twitter.com/dwo1rQ1SPz
— Alec Newman (@AlecNewman1) September 17, 2015
Rebecca Callard does Shaggy’s It Wasn’t Me:
Ta @FisayoAkinade. My #15secondshakespeare I nom @TheJohnMacShow @shaundooley @dollyjoyner pic.twitter.com/Y4DnBN3rpL
— rebecca callard (@rebeccacallard) September 20, 2015
Drew Ballantyne, Rachel Marwood, Kamaal Hussain and Tom Power do Destiny’s Child’s Bootylicious:
Caroline Sheen does the Bangles’ Manic Monday:
Challenge for you @michaelsheen Check out #15secondshakespeare & raise that bar! @davidfynn @amyhubcast #nominated pic.twitter.com/yk086NaUEK
— Caroline Sheen (@SheenCaroline) September 19, 2015
Why not show your own dramatic chops? Join in the fun by tweeting your 15-second video with the hashtag #15secondshakespeare.
