Shake it up is an Improv Shakespeare Show that is laugh-a-minute fun, taking place at 1pm at Guilded Balloon Patter House at the Edinburgh Fringe.
The cast request suggestions of lines to deliver throughout the show and ask one member of the audience their name and a country: “Emma of Mongolia” was the setting for our show and an hour of iambic pentameter, OTT characters and bellyache-inducing laughter ensued.
The cast masterfully craft a very believable Shakespeare show with eloquent dialogue and simple, romantic high or low born characters. Villains speak in verse and the rhyming ability on display here is incredibly impressive. Each performer has a strong understanding of the Bard and his style. They also amazingly weave in hilarious dialogue, slight nods to the fact it’s all made up on the spot and somehow manage to create a story that feels enjoyable and makes the audience want to know what could possibly come next.
Not afraid to lean into the tropes of Shakespeare’s writing; a classical setting with a queen, surprise twists or love interests as well as classic misunderstandings throwing us for a spin all make the show feel familiar, yet maintains a constant energy and a very fresh vibrant feel.
The cast have an amazing ability to bounce off one another and go with each other’s ideas, all eluding to the fact they are masters of improv. Wearing simple pieces of costume one way and a different way the next to portray different characters, and relying on the fact that the audience are intelligent enough to pick up on references to Shakespeare and his actual existing work, mean that this show really is brilliant fun for all and cements Shake It Up in the upper echelon of Improv Theatre at the fringe. This masterclass in improvisation is one to catch this fringe.
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/shakeitup-the-improvised-shakespeare-show
Theatre Scotland 
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