Link to one of a number of articles I’ve written for The Independent as a sometime reporter at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival
Pounding beats and Bard ‘n the ‘hood
On paper this did not look promising. Of the glut of musical theatre offerings at this year’s Fringe, a hip-hop treatment of Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errorswas surely going to be one of the more painful. In fact, the only painful thing about this unexpectedly stonking show from New York/Chicago ensemble, Bomb-itty International, is that pretty soon you’re not going to be able to get a ticket for it.
What began as a student production at a New York university in 1998 quickly became an off-Broadway hit, and British bookings agents with any sense will have this show signed for a West End run sharpish. Disregarding the smart adaptation, this cast of five (four actors playing 16 roles, plus a DJ/beat boxer/composer) are plainly preternaturally gifted performers.
Sarah Barrell 