Writer: William Shakespeare
Director: Lizzie Conrad Hughes
This double feature includes two of Shakespeare’s most politically motivated plays. In Measure For Measure, the Duke hands his power to others who corrupt their new duties for their own purposes. On the other hand, Julius Caesar is about the fear of one man holding too much power, thus leading to corruption. The performances can be viewed together or individually. Missing one will not affect the overall experience.
In Shake-Scene Shakespeare’s Dirty Politics double-bill, the actors have only been given their own lines of the script to practice before the main performance. With just their own lines to work with, the actors do not rehearse the full performance, and instead, the audience witnesses their first time on stage together. Each play is an abridged version, and there is an individual who is the Bookholder (Lizzie Conrad Hughes). Their specific role is to be there in case the actors forget their lines.
Sadly, the actors do forget their lines. Not five minutes pass without at least one actor forgetting their place, or taking a while to remember their cue. This creates a major distraction for those wishing to get lost in Shakespeare’s language. Not only that, but there are times when the Bookholder says a line out loud and the actor does not repeat the line, and instead the next actor says their own corresponding line. This disrupts the narrative flow. Powerful speeches meant to captivate the audience are made awkward and stunted as actors shout “Line!” or stand awkwardly looking at their colleagues.
Though this is the main weakness in the play, there is no doubt that this is a unique way to present a Shakespeare performance. By only giving an actor their own lines and not the full script, this production is achieving something common in Shakespeare’s time. In the 16th and early 17th centuries, actors were only given their lines to prevent someone from selling the play to a rival playhouse.
Though this is an interesting approach, the actors clearly need rehearsal time. This would not only help with the flow of the lines but also their facial expressions. Occasionally, facial expressions are too bland or too extreme in their mirth and mischief. These moments draw the audience out of the play just as much as the missing lines.
This all being said, each actor shows the ability to recite Shakespeare, and with proper rehearsals, there is potential.
Runs until 15 March 2026
