Shakesperience! a review

A review of the Gaiety School of Acting’s Shakesperience!

by Aoife O’Reilly

 

When I was invited to see Shakesperience as part of my TY work
experience, I thought that I was going to be so clueless. When I studied for
the Junior Cert, I never felt a passion for Shakespeare plays, and that lead me
to believe that I might not enjoy this experience. 

Wow, was I wrong! I think that this play was one of the most interesting,
exciting and interactive shows that I have been to. From start to finish, it
felt like you were really on stage with the actors and it was clear that the
audience felt the same way.

The show is primarily for Junior Cert students who are studying The
Merchant of Venice, and I think that it’s a fantastic idea for students
who don’t enjoy Shakespeare, or English in general. The play turned a classic
(some people might say boring!) Shakespeare piece into something far more
engaging for teenagers today. 

I came in to the theatre early, and it felt like a show itself to just watch
the cast warm up. They had such good control over their voices, and could
project to the back of the room with ease.

As the play began and progressed, even the rowdiest of people stopped
talking to watch what was happening. It was so amazing to see the cast giving
the audience opportunities to interact, and even stage some of the scenes! It’s
an amazing and unique idea, especially since there are some students out there
who have never seen a play before.

When the performance was coming to a close, the audience got a chance to
take to the mic and discuss different aspects of The Merchant of Venice.
The atmosphere in the theatre created by the amazing cast meant that even some
of the shyest students spoke up!

 Once the show was finished, I got to look at how the lighting in the
theatre worked, and had a look at the different costumes used in the show, and
of course I had to have a cheeky game of dress up!!!!

I feel so grateful to have seen a phenomenal show like this, carried out by
the most talented and passionate cast I have seen in a loooong time! They were
all so kind, taking time to tell me about their careers and how they got to
where they are now. As an aspiring actress, it was so inspiring to hear honest
opinions from people who are in the industry! I would recommend this
performance to not only junior/leaving cert students, but anyone who has
interest in directing, Shakespeare and most importantly a good laugh!