We’ve all heard the theories about Shakespeare. He was actually a woman, he was a collection of people, or he wasn’t a person at all. Well, this play isn’t a theory; it’s a hallucination. Written by Shaul Ezer, The Real William Shakespeare… As Told by Christopher Marlowe does everything it says on the tin. We follow Laura as she learns the truth about the “real” Shakespeare through the ghost of legendary playwright Christopher Marlowe. Marlowe tells us all about his life as a playwright, poet and spy, and how all this led to the creation of Shakespeare.
I loved this performance! Ezer’s story is filled with history with lots of laughter sprinkled in. I was concerned that the script might be excessively historical and bombarded with lots of facts, but Ezer balances comedy and information so perfectly. I felt fully engaged the whole performance – which is difficult for me when it comes to Shakespeare.
I am a sucker for multi-rolling. The play flows between Laura speaking to her ghoul companions and performing as different historical figures in Marlowe’s story. Kirsty Eila McIntyre (Lauar & others) has a great variety of characters up her sleeve. She switched between characters seamlessly and brought something different to each character. You could tell that Kirsty and the rest of the cast had so much fun bringing these people to life. Nicholas Thorne as Christopher Marlowe is witty and charming, making you fall in love with his character. I can only hope that Marlowe was as brilliant and eccentric as Thorne portrayed. Although his character is not on stage much, Adam Buksh as Ahmed Bilqasim has an amazing stage presence. After seeing him in this and a PPP production, I want to see more of him!
The scene stealer was John Kielty as The Musician – he is absolute perfection! Live music in theatre is top-tier (if done correctly), and Kielty definitely delivered. Standing on side, reacting to all the nonsense then fleeting in to play a little tune on the guitar – simple but hilarious! Jen McGregor has done a fantastic job directing this brilliant show. Everything flowed together so well, it was hilarious and touching, and above all it was so interesting.
The Real William Shakespeare… As Told by Christopher Marlowe is a must-watch this Fringe! Matchmaker Theatre Productions have done a phenomenal job of telling some history with a musical, conspiracy twist. Please see it soon if you can!
The Real William Shakespeare… As Told by Christopher Marlowe, plays at Greenside @ Riddles Court August 7-12, 14-19. You can grab your tickets here: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/real-william-shakespeare-as-told-by-christopher-marlowe
Theatre Scotland 
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