Fringing is off  to a wonderful start!!!!.  Tonight's blockbuster was The Shakespeare Show.  Canuck Cabaret was cute but it was all about the twirl-y light show.   Seriously if you are a Shakes buff you cannot miss The Shakespeare Show!!!!

The Shakespeare Show

http://www.monstertheatre.com/

Quite possibly my favorite Fringe show ever.   Possibly an all time favorite of any play, EVER!  Yes, ok,  I'm totally biased about the subject matter being the anglophile that I am, but objectively speaking there was so much to love about this little show.  Mark, Gary and Karen all liked it and Karen agreed it was the caliber of an Orlando Shakes play.  The production was more astounding given the fact that it was a 2 man show with no set and only 2 costume changes. 

What was so special?   Aside from the hooky plot, awesome dialog and twisty climax, the actors were supremely talented.  The two actors, Tara and Ryan captivated the entire audience as they morphed their expressions and body to fit the myriad Elizabethean characters.  Tara especially, was able to pull you into each and every character she played.  Most notably the Earl of Oxford and Queen Elizabeth. 

The plot of the story was the life of Edward Earl of Oxford and his struggle to pen 38 plays while keeping his identity hidden.    Most astounding was the way the freshly written iambic pentameter dialog interwove quotes from the Bards writing, further illustrating the connection to the Earls personal life and punctuating the fact that Shakespeare was an illiterate.  Add to that hilarity, physical antics and improve and you have all the makings of a stellar play.

Favorite moments include the three witches channeling The Golden Girls .   I also realy loved how they refrained from saying the word "Macbeth" (remember the curse of uttering that word in a theatre), and instead spit on the ground.  Only to finally tempt fate and utter the word quite forcefully at the end of the play,

 From the description I was expecting a larger production.    It was a quaint little 2 man show full of heart and guest visitors from other Fringe shows. Paul did a couple of very good monologues from his personal life.   They were good but not really worth missing a potentially better Fringe show.   Paul's finale was an interpretation of Baby from Dirty Dancing.  Very cute.

The female lead had the twirling lighted Yo Yo show that was beautifully executed.  This was the best part of the show.   She also had a puppet dance number also quaint.