- The Spontaneous Shakespeare Company
Pick your path! The Spontaneous Shakespeare company returns to the Winnipeg Fringe with a brand-new Shakespearean epic, inspired by you! Will it be a heart-rending tragedy or an epic romance? Not even the cast knows! Mistaken identity, twins lost at sea, plots for revenge: Anything can happen in this all-new (made-up) classic from the Bard!
Composed of a group of Vancouver’s finest actors and improvisers, The Spontaneous Shakespeare Company have performed (in iambic pentameter!) to sold-out audiences all over the country.
4.5 STARS “This nimble, talented troupe… is incapable of disappointing any audience.” – Winnipeg Free Press
5 STARS “…a delightful celebration of what improv — and Shakespeare — can be.” – Saskatoon StarPhoenix
Reviewing improv shows is always difficult, since every performance is different and the quality and entertainment value depends on how comedically fertile the audience prompts are and whether the performers are on their game. That said, this troupe is quite impressive, able to create a (semi) coherent Shakespearean tragedy (in this case, about dentists in…Transcona) complete with passable Elizabethan verse and metaphors. I was thoroughly entertained, so if you like Shakespeare and improv, this is the show for you!
I am in awe of this troupe’s ability to improvise in (mostly) Shakespearean style for dialogue and of the groups of long form improvisers I’ve seen this fringe they have also been the best at building and maintaining a narrative while also landing some great jokes.
An incredibly talented cast delivers a fun romp in flawless Shakespearean language – many shows bring laughs, and others poetry, but this show provides both and leaves the audience wanting more. Go see it thrice!
We had the pleasure of attending Tragedy or Triumph: An Improvised Shakespearean Epic—and epic it truly was. This talented young cast delivered a masterclass in improvised theatre, skillfully inviting audience input to shape a wildly inventive Shakespearean romance involving a wagon, missing teeth, and Transcona. The result was clever, playful, and brilliantly executed. From start to finish, the performance was sharp, engaging, and utterly entertaining. Bravo to the cast for their creativity and command of the craft!