CityLife

What's His Will?

WHAT'S His Will? proved a great opening to Not Part Of festival, providing something a world away from the usual Romeo and Juliet you can catch performed at any of the big theatres in town.

There was something fascinatingly cosy, too, about the smaller audience and more intimate setting.

The basic idea is that Shakespeare is writing a play. The characters, however, keep barging in and doing whatever they want.

And then, of course, on reflection decide they need to get old Will back, and leap across the stage calling for him to return.

Although Samuel Rowlands as the voice of Shakespeare seemed to take a tad longer to get into a convincing performance than Hanna Lambert and Suzanne Houghton who played the numerous women in the play, the exchange between Shakespeare and his characters proved hilarious.

The simple stage worked fine, though the lighting seemed a bit haphazard at times.

Lady McDoogle became a firm favourite as the play rolled out, the accent causing the audience to laugh pretty loudly, and Juliet's turn also challenged the stomach muscles.

At around an hour, this left me wishing it continued. A firm 4 stars.

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