Welcome to the world of improvised Shakespeare! I have seen Shake It Up! several times before, including in the Birmingham Library with the wonderful The School of Night, so I was well versed in their technique.
Before they can begin, they ask the audience for suggestions of a comedy, tragedy, or history play. With a vote dependent upon our clap energy, we enthusiastically voted for a history play. To build more detail, we needed a protagonist, someone that you know but whom is not in the audience with you. Hurray! Pietro in the front row suggests Ludovico his flat-mate, and his bad habits are chewing loudly, being messy, and generally rude, but good hearted. The play will be set in the Lake District with the gorgeous rolling hills, and Kendal Mint Cake! I should also mention that whilst the audience queued for the show, they were asked to complete a line of text on a slip of paper to add to the improv suggestions, which are then stuffed into the bloomers of the performers to be drawn at any moment during the play, they must then include the line within the show.
And we’re off! A play set in 1599 (when they apparently had dishwashers) called Ludovico the 11th of the Lake District. Ludovico (Silvia Manazzone) and Pietro (Edward Kaye) are sharing a flat, and true to form Ludovico is being his messy self, it is the artistic side to his nature, and I am sure his self-portrait with spaghetti bolognaise will sell like hot cakes, or hot pasta! Ludovico is married to Syvitcia (had a stab at it) (Olivia Gibbs-Fairley), and Pietro is dating Clarabel (Fred Di Rosa); naughty Ludovico is also interested in Clarabel. A tangled web of relationships with high tension, and many deaths.
To improvise a play in the style of Shakespeare is quite an undertaking. Of course, Shakespeare writes in iambic pentameter, and this does appear intermittently, but the team do not rigidly stick to this. Humour runs through the whole of the play, any deaths have a slapstick feel to them, but the audience loves it. The company work well together, and it is evident that they rehearse and are professional in their approach. They are quick and inventive, which keeps the audience hooked, and the additional ‘googly’ of the lines stuffed into their bloomers, adds to the jeopardy.
There is no doubt that Shake It Up! are very capable improvisers and score huge points for entertainment value. They are consistent, I have not seen them do a bad show, so if you want a fun, improvised Shakespeare show, then Shake It Up! are for you!
The show runs until 31st August 12.35pm (1hr) at the Wine Bar, at Gilded Balloon Teviot. To buy tickets go to – https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/shakeitup-the-improvised-shakespeare-show
Reviewer: Caroline Worswick
Reviewed: 23rd August 2026
North West End UK / Theatre Muse UK Rating: