I LOVED Drunk Shakespeare! One of my favorite evening spent in New York.
1. I recommend actually getting the balcony seats. Not only are they cheaper, they are far more comfortable and convienent. You will have a whole table space (the top of a bookshelf) for your drinks and snacks and to lean against. The other two options you have to awkwardly hold your drink or put it on the ground, which is risky business during a performance like this. The room is super cool and ultimately, any seat is a good seat.
2. They give you a tasty little shot upon entry. You may purchase snacks and alcohol during the performance, so no fret. Their cocktails are expensive and not necessarily the best, but it is fun having something to sip on.
3. When we arrived there was a man, Josh, who was talking to each individual guest as they sat down. He was an absolute hoot! It was basically like a pre-show. He also managed to remember almost every single person’s name in the audience, which was impressive. It got everyone really fired up and prepped for what was to come. Perfect.
4. And then it began. I have scarcely laughed so hard. The entire performance I was dying, as were pretty much everyone around me. But not only is it funny, but it is impressive. They did Macbeth and managed to flow between the original iambic pentameter and modern day vernacular so easily. It was fascinating. They are clearly all superbly talented actors (there were five). Many many sexual innuendos were made and cuss words spoke so if that is not your thing, maybe steer clear. I couldn’t help but watch a couple people look extremely uncomfortable but most got over it by the end. Then there is the improve element of it. They threw things (sometimes literally) at each other and rolled with it, no questions asked. For example, our drunk actor said that before any line Josh said, he had to first say a line from his standup. Not related to Shakespeare, but hilarious to mix in.
5. And that takes me to our drunk actor. I think in total he had seven drinks during the performance. I’m sure he played it up a bit, but he certainly seemed drunk. Every time he showed up he was wearing one less article of clothing until by the end he was in his boxers. But even in the midst of this, when asked to recite his favorite Shakespeare monologue, he did it like a champ.
It was unlike anything I’d ever seen or experienced. If you are looking for a silly and riotous evening, look no further.