Drunk Shakespeare

Absolutely one of the funniest improv show. I’ve gone multiple times now and each show is unique and absolutely hilarious. The cast is incredible and the comedy is outlandish. I was shocked to look on stage and see who one of the actors is. I recognized him immediately! Curious as to who? Go check it out and think HBO…

Went a few nights ago to the late show and I thought it was really fun. I loved the room, it is an intimate space with the bookcases covering all the walls.
My thought at the end of the show when the performers were mingling with the audience was to ask what I would have to do to get a job there. The performers all were funny and interactive. I will definitely go again and I think it’s a great place to go on a date.

Completely hysterical. Maybe one of the most entertaining things I’ve done in NYC. Every actor was on point, whether it was impressions, singing, interacting with the audience. If you’re unsure about going to see this, don’t think, just do it.

Amazing cast, hilarious, clever and well executed performance of Macbeth! I had such a fun time being an audience member and have already told a bunch of people about the show. Highlights of the show for me included: «Magic Macbeth’s» strip tease and the «beat it» dance scene. We were a little late and had some ticketing issues and the hostesses were super accommodating and helped us with big smiles! I highly recommend this show and would definitely go again next time I’m in New York! Thanks for a fun Friday night!
P.s Lady M (Caitlin!) you are an incredibly talented and beautiful woman and I look forward to seeing your future success unfold! #womancrusheveryday

I got this for my sister as a Christmas present, and we went last week. It was SUCH a fun experience; they try to make the entire atmosphere fun and party-​like, hence the fact that we were handed free shots as soon as we entered. The venue is really cool; it’s pretty intimate so there are no bad seats. We sat in the «mezzanine» at a table, which I think is better than it would’ve been sitting on the floor because we had something to put our drinks on and we could see everything better. However, if you’re sitting on the floor, they do engage you more for audience participation.
They performed Macbeth. All of the actors are freaking HILARIOUS. I was dying when three of them were performing the witches scene because they were so into it and making the funniest faces I’ve ever seen. Of course one of the actors took a bunch of shots before the show. Several lines of the play are amended to make it funnier and more modern (if you’re a snob and can’t handle Shakespeare being changed at all, then this isn’t your thing) and there are numerous rules proposed by the actors during the performance to change it up. For example, someone was performing a monologue and a fellow actor was yelling out styles to perform it in, such as William Shatner. Everything was so hilarious and engaging. You totally don’t have to be a Shakespeare buff to have a great time.
I would highly recommend this for a night out if you like drinking, dirty jokes, and laughing your ass off. If sexual jokes and drunken shenanigans are not your thing, don’t go to Drunk Shakespeare and also we can never be friends.

Not sure how I forgot to review this but here it is. You don’t necessarily have to be a fan of Shakespeare or have read any of the plays to follow this. I haven’t read any since high school and that was a while ago. This play is a modernized version of what Shakespeare would’ve written about today. It’s very interactive and raunchy. They encourage audience participation so if you’re a little prudish this may not be the event for you. Not sure how anyone can get drunk and still perform knowing line for line and make any mistakes. Now that’s talent. The space is very very intimate which is how they lost a star for me. I appreciate an intimate setting however the chairs are too close. So close that the embellished shirt I had on ripped the person’s sweater that I was sitting next to. Overall good, funny show.

Brought out a group of friends to celebrate my fiancé’s birthday and we all had a lot of fun. You really need to know the plot of the play before you see them perform it but the cast had fun with the materials and they made a lot of hi-​larious jokes. Laughed way more than expected. Drinks aren’t too bad either.

Drunk Shakespeare is absolute gold. My friends and I had the best time and will definitely be back for another performance. The show is achingly hilarious and outrageously brilliant.

Had a free night by myself while in NYC for business and found this play. Right in Times Square. What a blast! If you love live performance, constant laughs and great stage presence then this is a can’t miss. Every cast member was perfect, and although they were camping it up you could tell they had some serious acting chops beneath their schtick. Place was packed, on a Wed night no less. Troupe gave it their all, and the audience had an absolute howl. Great way to spend a night. If you are a Shakespeare freak like me you’ll be in absolute heaven.

Hands down one of the most hilarious performances I’ve seen. The improv is amazing and the Shakespeare is on point! Highly recommend for a good time full of shenanigans!

My brother and me got to see them perform Macbeth. Complete waste of money — free college plays I’ve been to have been far superior. Through their performance, there is the undertone of «I’ve had so much alcohol, dude, look at me I’m so drunk and smashed, man» which I quickly tired of.
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A fun silly drunken night, and the booze definitely helps to make it even more fun. I didn’t quite know what to expect, but to sum it up — Tequila meets Shakespeare plus improv mixed with audience participation and drama with a side of dance party… did you get any of that?
Bottom line is that this is a talented and down to earth troupe of actor. Once particular actor is selected to get blitzed out of his mind and the troupe then acts out the entire play as he continues his downward spiral. As a group, they take a lot of liberties in improving, ad-​libbing and adding scenes and lines which makes Shakespeare a bit more tolerable (I’m sure some purists will hate me for that comment). There are moments when the actors’ talents really do shine, which is a great contrast to the over the top silliness and drunken fun that goes on for a majority of the night. There are some parts, especially towards the end, that get a bit inaudible and chaotic, especially when they try to run the show with Parliamentary Procedure (yelling out «point of order/​inquiry» or «drunken point of order») and cutting back into the show by yelling «321 Shakespeare». And of course, since there is a fair amount of audience participation, the unruliness could also be partly determined by the hyperness of audience members — the drunker and louder the audience, the more off topic and chaotic the show can seem.
Overall it makes for a very interesting experience. If you are looking for an all around silly, drunken, no-​rules and no inhibitions kind of evening, this is a good experience to try. If you’re a fan of the box, the rules, and keeping to the classics, make sure you let your guard down and hold back judgements. After all, the point is to have fun, let loose and watch this troupe as they attempt to make their mark on the classics in a drunken way. And if you are lucky enough to score some free tickets to this evening (thanks Goldstar!), then why not?!

I am a HUGEEEEEEE fan of theater.
Broadway, Off Broadway, OFF– OFF Broadway.
I came here last Sunday for the 4pm showing and had a BLAST!
Think of improv meets Shakespeare meets that kewl guy you knew in college that seemed to always be about 5 in by the time you made it to happy hour downtown at 3pm on a Tuesday.
Anywhere you sit is good if you want to listen but the real fun is in the pit.
Don’t know the play being performed or any Shakespeare because you placed yourself into a mentally induced coma at the thought of iconic pentameter? NO PROBLEM.
«Points of Order» will be done through out the night to make sure the less English Lit members of the court are kept in the loop.
King and Queen get to call some of the «shots» throughout the performance.
Thoroughly impressed with the players ability to recite long monologues of verse.
Pro Tip: Get there early for a good seat. If you want a drink go to the library early and take pictures and film. It is encouraged!

DO NOT GO FOR ‘DRUNK SHAKESPEARE’.
It’s the worst play I have ever watched. I wouldn’t even call it a play.
You do laugh and it is interactive, but in no way is this play tasteful.
Macbeth is what they are enacting. I think they would be more entertaining if they skipped the ‘Shakespearian’ lingo and just stuck to how we normally speak in this day and age. They switch from ‘123 Shakespeare’ to normal conversations. It’s pure chaos.
All in all it’s a bad play. I think the ticket price is a complete rip off. Not sure how they can dare to sell the ticket at $ 60 or discounted $ 30, with a straight face.

What a fun show! Great date night — very interactive!
As you probably know by the title, the main actor gets drunk and then the whole «cast» performs the wackiest, most hilarious, very «handsy» version of Shakespeare. I came to their performance of MacBeth and… what a show! So much laughing and such fun people.
The place is a very small, intimate venue. The characters will talk to you, possibly touch you, comment on you going to the bathroom, etc. All in good fun!

I just came home from Drunk Shakespeare tonight and it was great! First you get there a little earlier so you get checked in and get your ticket. Then you get in and depending on the ticket, you are either seated up on mezzanine or on the main floor. I was at the mezz and I had a great time. It’s pretty much the same space. Being true to its name, everyone gets a shot walking in. Throughout the show, there are many beers given out. The one actor who got «drunk» tonight was Tim. He was Macbeth and did a great job. Everyone knows Shakespeare inside out and that’s the only way they can improvise. We got tickets from livingsocial. They also auction off the king and queen seats. I thought that was smart.
Definitely something to consider for everyone 21+.

«Out, out damn spot!»
«Unsex me here.»
Comedy, drinking, and Shakespeare? Yes, please! I had a phenomenal time last Friday night at the 10pm Late show seating. Setup is very intimate, and we were seated right on stage. There is standing room as well, but only a few people were standing at our showing. The play is very interactive! Note: If you don’t like to be called out or get easily embarrassed, this is not the show for you. Josh was hysterical. He was responsible for keeping the guests entertained before the show started, and he basically unbuttoned my boyfriend’s shirt to feel his manly chest hair. I was dying.
The play we saw performed was Macbeth, which is my personal favorite! Being an English major, I was jumping for joy the entire time. As part of Drunk Shakespeare’s tradition, one performer must begin the play by taking shots. The actor playing Macbeth was the lucky victim at our showing, and he was great. At one point, Lady Macbeth had an intimate moment with my bf (I guess his chest hair was a hit). All I know is, I got a free beer out of it, so I was not disturbed in the least bit. (FYI: Cocktails are $ 15, so I would not suggest buying rounds for everyone in the theater).
So many laughs were to be had, but so as to not ruin the experience, I will not describe the performance too much. There was a dad and daughter date in the audience, and that got awkward for them real fast, but not for the rest of us haha. Definitely worth it, although I would use Groupon or find discounted tickets, as they are abundant. Easy to get to and located in the same area as LOL Comedy.

I like drinking. I like Shakespeare. Really no surprise that this was one of the most fun experiences I’ve tackled in NYC.
My boyfriend got us tickets through Groupon for last Friday night’s performance. There is an option of either mezzanine or stage side, I’m not sure it was worth it to pay more for stage side because no one actually checks if you’re supposed to be there. The performance space is very intriguing! The stage is almost in a «pit» where there are tables and chairs surrounding the pit and books cases GALORE surrounding the pit as well. Behind the bookcases are the mezzanine where there are more tables and chairs to look down into the pit. This place had a library-​ish feel, even the bar was hidden behind a bookcase. Throughout the performance, the actors take beers and drinks out of random books. We sat stage side and these were excellent seats for us!
You are served one free shot upon entering, and are able to mingle with Josh, one of the actors before the show, as well as order drinks. Josh really knew how to get the crowd going, we were so impressed that he remembered everyone’s name! He was making jokes, climbing on furniture, licking people’s faces, good times. All of the cast did a great job of creating an environment of fun, and carefree shenanigans! The cast of four acted out Macbeth. Only one of the actors gets drunk, drinking 3 – 5 beverages throughout the show and consuming 5 – 7 shots before and during the play. An audience member gets to take a shot to verify that the shots have liquor. It definitely helped to know the plot line before hand to catch some of the jokes, but was still hilarious if you are unfamiliar. The play stays pretty on course with the plot, but obviously very loosely so. Macbeth and MacDuff dance battle instead of sword fight? Hilarious! The cast stops to take shots, make jokes, dance. It was all incredibly hilarious and everyone in the room seemed to be having a really great time. I’m really surprised that some reviewers were put off by the drunkenness, screaming, crude jokes, etc. The performance is called Drunk Shakespeare in a 21+ environment; why would you ever come here expecting to see a sophisticated performance of Shakespeare? There is audience participation but not in a way that would make one feel embarrassed or nervous. The cast members joke with the audience without taking it too far. Normally in comedy clubs I’m afraid I’m going to get picked on, but here, the joking is all within reason, never felt uncomfortable once. In the beginning of the performance, audience members can bid to sit in the throne seats during the show where you are served Moet, caviar, get to wear crowns, and get to command the chosen actor to take a shot of liquor, or pardon him from doing so, very funny! The chosen drunk actor we saw was definitely drunk and the other actors played off of it, I don’t think we stopped laughing the whole time, fully engaged! If you want a drink during the performance, you write out the white card on your table and a server brings it to you, open a tab before the performance though, the charges get put on there. Chips and salsa and Pringles are also offered.
The only part that slightly irked me about the performance was during the cauldron scene towards the end. Actors make an alcoholic potion for the drunk actor to drink, but do so by taking a bit of audience members’ drinks and pouring them into a cup. When you charge $ 15 for a drink, I’d rather you not dump a fourth of my drink into your cauldron.
Whether truly improvised or not, this was a hilarious way to see Shakespeare!
If you are not offended by swearing, sexual innuendo, drunkenness, and enjoy drinking for fun, and love laughing, you will SO enjoy this performance. Fun, relaxing, night. Gaining in popularity! Go see it! Loved it, I keep telling everyone about it!

So my wife is well-​versed in Shakespeare, while I am a philistine and shun most performance art created before the Netflix era. The closest I usually get to enjoying Shakespeare is watching movies based on his work like 10 Things I Hate About You or She’s the Man (seriously — it’s a terrific movie).
Thankfully Drunk Shakespeare was wonderful and really enjoyable for both of us!
The actors had a mastery of Shakespeare that will entertain any Shakespeare aficionado, but incorporated a solid mix of improv, voluntary audience interaction, and modern culture (I loved when they broke into a choreographed dance to a Michael Jackson song).
I was surprised by how intimate the venue is (check out the Unilocal photos!) — it was comfortable to sit in and really creates a nice feeling of camaraderie with other audience members and the actors. I think people who enjoy drinking will especially enjoy the atmosphere and flowing drinks, and teetotalers such as myself will still feel included and entertained.
The night I was there the performance was based on MacBeth, and Caitlin Morris was the designated drinker/​actor — and she gave an outstanding performance!
Oh — I also bought tickets for the wrong night and showed up without realizing that. I was mortified I got the dates wrong, but the people working the door simply let me switch nights at no extra cost when they didn’t have to — that was greatly appreciated.
Again, my wife is a theater person and I’m the opposite — but Drunk Shakespeare creates a brilliant blend of classic literature with a fast-​paced, funny, and energetic atmosphere that make for a great evening in NYC. I highly recommend checking it out!

Good olé Billy Shakespeare did most of his finest work (allegedly) in a drunken stupor, with the amount of alcohol needed to deliver him to that state being enough to render most normal sized adults just mere steps away from oblivion. Hyperbolic? Perhaps, but it is a well known fact/​myth that Billy loved his booze.
And it is on this (possible) truth that the illustrious Drunk Shakespeare Society builds its entire thespian persona and philosophy on. Their commitment to their mission to imbibe and entertain is nothing short of steadfast and stalwart, which is very good news for the audience (you and I) who have the unparalleled delight to bear witness to such classy debauchery unfold. One particular lady actor, on this night, was the drunken star of the show; five shots to start, and two shots at randomly selected times during the show, and a stomach turning concoction consisting of various beers/​liquors/​wines (which actually was a part of the plot). Needless to say, lady actor Allison did a fantastic job.
Historically, I am not much of a fan to the Bard of Avon. Call me a Philistine if you must, but the antiquated Elizabethan verbiage and vernacular is lost on me, and I typically do not enjoy things that I cannot comprehend (though I will give massive kudos to the brave thespians who can memorize all those wordy words). That being said, the Drunk Shakespeare Society’s rendition of «Macbeth» was one of the most enjoyable and impressive stage performances I’ve had the opportunity to attend.
There were many unique aspects to this particular version of «Macbeth» that may have more old-​school/​traditional connoisseurs of Shakespeare crying foul, but they were some of the biggest reasons why I was so entertained.
1) Audience members were active/​passive participants during the performance. The strategic use of the audience added an extra something… everyone was so engaged, hanging on cues from the actors, giving suggestions for alternative names/​words… and with half the audience trying to keep up with drunk lady actor, you can imagine the ideas that were pouring out of everyone’s mouths. Even better, the performers were unafraid of breaking the fourth wall and/​or using some particularly «snobby» albeit neatly attired gentleman as a prop «chair» many times during the show; his clear discomfort/​annoyance just added to the pleasure/​delight that the rest of the audience was witnessing.
2) While the spirit and most of the original dialogue was left intact during the performance, the actors were unafraid to make deviations from the as-​written script. By doing this, the actors were able to showcase their comedic personalities and their aptitude of popular culture and improvisation. I found this to be a real treat, especially when the emotion of a scene was boiled down to it’s essence and expressed in everyday layman’s lexicon. Not only was my «culture-​less philistine» mind now able to comprehend/​decipher the meaning to the words, but the now efficient and understandable wordplay resulted in quite a bit of hilarity; going from «have me ‘neath and ‘twixt my nethers» to «just do me in the behind»… the stuff show stoppers were made of.
My mouth/​sides hurt because I was smiling/​laughing so much. Gotta thank NYC Unilocal for copping me some free tickets for Unilocal’s On Broadway. A fantastic job to all the actors involved with the show, not a weak link here. Definitely worth a viewing, and the best part is that they perform a different Shakespeare play each time; but even if you happen to catch the same play being performed, rest assured, the experience will not be the same as before (and that’s a good thing).