REVIEW: SHELDRAKE ON SHAKESPEARE: LIVE! At Baron’s Court Theatre 23 July 2023

‘James Sheldrake brings his insights and ideas around the world’s greatest playwright into a comic stand-up routine’ ★★

I had my very first trip to the Globe Theatre on Friday. Although I left Shakespeare behind forty years ago at English ‘O’ level, I was curious to see how much I had retained from Macbeth and if I could engage with the work on stage. I found the modern interpretation enthralling and wanted to understand more, which is why I was drawn to the one man, forty-five-minute show by James Sheldrake, which heads to Edinburgh from Aug 4th-12^th.

With a podcast under his belt (Sheldrake on Shakespeare) this former English teacher brings his insights and ideas around the world’s greatest playwright into a stand-up routine. The presentation was rattled through at a pace, underpinned with examples and sprinkled with the occasional self-deprecating anecdote. There were lots of wry observations and asides; Sheldrake has instinctive comic timing and delivery which makes this an enjoyable performance to watch.

The theme of the evening was playfulness. Not only is Sheldrake choosing a more playful route in life, but Shakespeare also understood the importance of play and this was illustrated through five key examples. I had read Macbeth and As you Like it at school but wasn’t familiar with the others which put me at a disadvantage. My guest knew them all and, this disparity between us revealed the show is pitched at Shakespeare insiders, not novices.

While James Sheldrake clearly knows the Bard like the back of his hand, this is a show that preaches to the converted rather than inviting new enthusiasts. If you already know your Shakespeare, this show might illuminate you further but if you don’t, you won’t come out any the wiser.

Specific content aside, the event was more like a witty lecture than a comic performance. Not speaking for too long without offering a question, focus or prompt is one of the golden rules of teaching, a practice based on what is known about average attention spans.

Tonally, this performance started to flatten out quite quickly and could easily have been broken up with audience interaction or participation, some performed extracts, or visual props. In short, the performance could have been more playful in practice - not just theory - but is sure to find an appreciative audience in English teachers, students and Shakespeare aficionados.

https://sheldrakeonshakespeare.com/

Reviewed by Nilgin Yusuf