Shakespeare Magazine 09

Bill
“It’s a delightful comedy that has
echoes of everything from Monty
Python to Mel Brooks”
afoot!” while holding a disembodied leg. The
death scene with the most heartstring-tugging
potential is deflated by the best-timed ‘your
mum’ joke in history. You’ll groan as often as
you laugh, but that’s expected. The writers play
up to it with knowing nods, and, alongside the
more innovative humour, the groan-worthy
puns manage to feel fresh.
This ensemble is as used to playing
multiple roles in a single piece as Shakespeare’s
own actors would have been. It’s a true
joy to watch them playing such a range of
characters with such a dizzying array of silly
accents. Although each and every character
has stand-out moments, Walsingham, one of
Larry Rickard’s parts, steals every scene he’s
in, especially when he’s hiding. Songs are a
staple for the Horrible Histories and ‘A Series of
Croydon (Simon
Farnaby) seems to
be doing an early
version of Macbeth
in Bill’s play.
Funny Misunderstandings’ brilliantly sends up
Shakespeare’s comedic tropes.
This is the rare kind of film that pretty
much everyone can enjoy. Adults as well as
kids, Shakespeare fans and people who don’t
give a plague rat’s arse about Early Modern
theatre. It’s a witty, irreverent send-up of all
the period dramas we’ve seen before, as well as
a unique comic story in its own right. A great
family comedy and a unique addition to the
every growing Shakespeare ‘lost years’ mythos.
We hope that Bill isn’t the last Shakespeareinspired
project this talented team take on.
36 SHAKESPEARE magazine