Contemporary Classics

Austentatious: An Improvised Novel

It’s no secret that improvised comedy is a fine art, but The Milk Monitors are taking things one step further with their hit show Austentatious. Rather than bringing any one particular Jane Austen story to life, this talented bunch take suggestions from the audience to create an hour long spectacular of Austen style silliness with the help of period costumes and live cello accompaniment. With Pride and Predator and @JaneAusten: #Zombies (one for the digital age) amongst previous shows, this sensational six-piece are certain to entertain. Fresh from performing in the US, Canada, Austria, the Netherlands and a host of UK festivals, the troupe are heading to the Fringe in a blaze of glory after a stellar first year on the improv circuit. 

Don Juan

In this adaptation of an adaptation, Jackinabox Productions take Molière’s Dom Juan, based on the Spanish libertine, and mix it in with their own unique take on a classic tale. The group, who made their debut at the Fringe last year, are committed to producing adventurous and provocative work, and this play is no different. Dicing with the devil, Don Juan delves deep into his decadent memoirs and reveals a shopping list of love affairs in this sensual reinterpretation. Enjoy the revelations from one of the greatest womanisers of all time in this darkly droll reworking of a literary legend.

‘Beth

We all know the story of Macbeth: man wants to be king, goes apeshit, kills everyone and dies. Whilst the tale is familiar, though, this transformation takes all of its traditional elements and puts them through a blender of blood, guts and rock operatic glory in Violet Shock’s spin ‘Beth. Boasting 90 minutes of dark and twisted theatre alongside an original score, this adaptation promises to be the group’s finest year yet. After their 2008 festival debut Something Wicked This Way Comes and Sing Alonga Little Shop of Horrors last year, 2012 sees Violet Shock mixing the darkness of their first production with the musical quality of their second as they transform Shakespeare into Shockspeare.

Bitesize Chekhov

Fans of a bargain are in for a treat with Bitesize Chekhov, which offers three of the playwright’s lesser known works for the price of one. Making their debut this year are d’Animate, a quirky new company breathing life into The Proposal, The Bear and Swan Song from Chekhov’s vast literary canon. Not only have they selected some of his less mainstream pieces, but their bid to sandwich the trio together shows an original edge in these bright young things. Expect an energetic edit of all three plays squeezed into 60 minutes as the actors merrily flit from farce to physical theatre.

As You Like It

It’s hard to find good service at the best of times, but thankfully Phebe is on hand to dole out drinks to the audience in this reworking of Shakespeare’s calamitous comedy As You Like It. Bristol University’s theatre company As Told By bring the Forest of Arden roaring into the twentieth century, with flora and fauna swapped for the delights of a smoky 1920s speakeasy. In the struggle for the Lost Generation to find love in the wake of the Great War, Rosalind and Celia take comfort in the soothing tones of the sax and Touchstone’s magic routine. But their alluring surrounds do not help their quest for normality, and trickery and tomfoolery quickly ensue. Join these sublime story tellers for a glamorous foray into Arden like you've never known before.

Dracula: Sex, Sucking and Stardom

Bram Stoker’s vampiric tale of lust and fury, with emphasis on the vamp, is brought back to life in this musical version of the story adapted by Last Chance Saloon. The Count has a taste for both blood and Andrew Lloyd Webber in this 21st century modernisation of the Victorian gothic, and the all male three piece have dispensed with Lucy and Mina in a bid to focus on what really matters: showbiz. Yes, the pursuit of the entertainment industry is top of the list of priorities for these madcap men, who promise to pepper the original with their own brand of gothicomedy. With liberally adapted pop songs and a host of caricatures thrown into the mix, this clan are adding a decidedly modern, musical twist to one of history’s greatest fictional works.