Act one begins with the scene set in Busselton Bunnings, as “Jewlz”, a well meaning head of department is convinced by corporate that they’re in need of a restructure. A restructure which should result with one man in charge, and he is just the man for the job!
Centuries after the bard first wrote his plays, there are countless retellings, remakes and interpretations of them, mostly keeping within the same themes and elements of the original. And while some can barely claim to be Shakespearean, the collective behind Bogan Shakespeare continue to hit the mark every year, putting on what in my opinion is one of the best shows that Fringe has to offer.
Taking a satirical interpretation and adding a cultural and modern element to it, this show manages to keep the most important parts of the original play, interweaving traditional prose with Australian slang and the aspects of our hardware chain that we all know so well. For a short time, we are transported to a world that we know and understand, learning the struggles of Cassius, Casca and “Bruce” as they deal with the worst of all customers, the ones who still refuse to wear masks in the store. All whilst one of their own starts to amass more power, to the point where eventually something must be done about it.
Whatever your level of familiarity with Julius Caesar, this performance will not fail to disappoint. The cast will enthrall and entertain, keeping you in stitches with their ability to turn a Shakespearean tragedy into your best night out at Fringe, somehow also intermingling our current struggles with today’s world. The only thing I wished for, was that I’d had a chance to see the show last year, so I didn’t quite get the 10 seconds in “in-joke” throwing back to their previous performance.
No matter their play, Bogan Shakespeare will be a worthwhile outing, so make sure you see the play before the ides of March are upon us and it’s too late! And join the cast for an evening, that even Shakespeare would be proud of, where lowest prices are just the beginning.