You would be forgiven for thinking it's always a serious occasion when Shakespeare's work is performed live, even his more comedic plays.
But that's not always the case - especially when they're being recited by Magnificent B*stard Productions.
The theatre company is behind Sh*t-faced Shakespeare, the hilarious concept which combines a completely serious adaptation of a Shakespearean classic with one completely legless cast member.
Having entertained over 350,000 theatre goers across the world, as well as multiple sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the Sh*t-faced Shakespeare team are now heading out on a UK tour with their version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream - including a stop in Bristol.
They will perform at the Redgrave Theatre on October 12, as well as Komedia in Bath the night before.
How does it work?
One classically-trained actor or actress is selected at random each day and given four hours to drink before the show.
Then the cast come together on stage to perform the show that evening.
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While the whole cast all support the one cast member who is drunk, that actor or actress can throw all kinds of curve balls into the show and the rest must go with it and try to keep things on track.
As you can imagine, hilarity ensues as they all try to hold it together.
An example of what to expect can be seen in this YouTube clip:
A spokesperson said: "Outrageously raucous and completely unpredictable, Sh*t-faced Shakespeare has been running since 2010 and has already entertained over 350,000 eager theatregoers.
"Having successfully completed multiple sell-out runs, the group made their way stateside in 2015 to Boston and have been enjoying smashingly successful runs on both sides of the pond since."
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Sh*t-Faced Shakespeare aims to introduce a new generation of theatregoers to the works of the Bard by reviving the raucous, interactive and vibrant nature of Elizabethan theatre with a very modern twist – reminding the crowd as they go to always enjoy Shakespeare responsibly.
