Riotous and ridiculous in equal measure, Shakespeare’s Best Bits is an anarchic comedic romp that gives its talented troupe of six actors a chance to show off their glorious comedy skills, in a phenomenally entertaining two hours of slapstick comedy inspired by the Bard’s great works.
Staged by The Australian Shakespeare Company and playing out under the stars at Melbourne’s beautiful Royal Botanic Gardens, Shakespeare’s Best Bits begins with quite a lot more setup of its premise than you’d expect, with this opening segment containing some of the biggest laughs of the entire show.
The premise essentially pits a group of five actors against their pretentious, self-absorbed director, Peter Quince (Jackson McGovern), while all of them have their sights set on securing a plum gig to perform at the lavish upcoming wedding of a Duke. But unbeknownst to Quince, the troupe is loath to perform one of his works and troupe member Snug (Maddie Somers) instead suggests they perform something written by her “Uncle Bill”, who is quite the talented playwright it seems.
Once the troupe manages to convince Quince that doing a play by Uncle Bill might be a better idea (a lot of audience interaction is required to fully convince him), they furiously launch into an energetic recreation of a great number of Shakespeare’s most famous plays, with the pace not slackening until the final bows.
Some of the gimmicks employed during Shakespeare’s Best Bits are unexpected and hilarious, with Hamlet performed in the style of a Gordon Ramsay Kitchen Nightmares-type reality show and Romeo and Juliet performed in ballet form rather than a dramatic play. There’s also opera, hip-hop, shadow puppets and line dancing employed over the course of the show.
But it’s the troupe’s rendition of Macbeth that features some of the biggest laughs, with the incorporation of a trio of witch puppets providing some of the night’s most memorable moments. The production values of the show are actually way more impressive than expected, with some amazing costume design and a simple but effective set that the cast use every inch of to full effect.
Alex Cooper, Peter Houghton, Hugh Sexton and Scott Jackson round out the cast as the rest of the troupe, and all deliver top-notch performances. Not only with their acting but with their singing as well, with many musical moments incorporated into the action. The aforementioned hip-hop interlude performed by two of the cast is actually a genuinely impressive musical number, and not just a random throwaway gag. The novelty of a Shakespeare rap is definitely one of the highlights of the show.
It could be argued that what the cast do here is more impressive than if they were doing a traditional presentation of a Shakespeare play, as often they have to recite his dialogue at double and triple the speed or deliver it in an unconventional way.
While all of the actors are playing buffoons, there’s incredible talent on display and they don’t miss a beat in whizzing through around 10 of the Bard’s most well-known works, while amusingly deciding to skip over some of the boring ones such as Henry IV, Part 1.
The direction by Glenn Eslton OAM brings all of the chaotic elements and characters together into one cohesive whole, and the chemistry of the cast is off the charts, with Houghton standing out with his commanding voice and likeable stage presence. Somers also stands as the awkward Snug, with some of her low-key asides and interjections always hysterical.
Shakespeare’s Best Bits is a true delight. Having expected a comedic deconstruction of the Bard’s work, I never could have expected it to be this impressively staged and the unconventional approach it takes. There’s loads of surprises to be had here and if you’re a fan of Shakespeare’s work or even just in need of a good dose of slapstick silliness then you must make a beeline to the Botanic Gardens and catch this before it ends its run.
Playing at Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens, Southern Cross Lawn until January 17, 2026.
4/5 stars
More information and tickets via shakespeareaustralia.com.au
TINSEL and TAP SHOES 