Roe McDonnell
On the EdFringe website it reads: ‘Broadguess, A Shakespearean Every Brilliant Thing’ I’ve never booked anything faster.
When Elizabethan detective, Broadguess, working the Elsinore Castle beat (ghosts, again), gets a hot tip about Ophelia drowning, they fall down a Shakespearean rabbit hole. Witches, cross-dressing, dancing and improv. A love letter to theatre overall, and especially fringe theatre as an art form.
This is one of those shows where you don’t overly need to know the context behind the classic stories to understand what happens but it will definitely help if you do. Broadguess production brings Shakespeare’s most popular plays to an audience with laughs every minute. Detective Broadguess is here to solve the murders and killings of the Bard’s big-hitters.
It’s more comedy than murder mystery, with too many steps taken to reach a rousing ending. The added audience participation – à la ‘Every Brilliant Thing’- took a while to build and, whilst enjoyable, there were moments where the audience couldn’t tell if they were being instructed to respond.
Dee Ryan embodies Broadguess brilliantly and the audience is wrapped around her finger. She works the crowd into a trusting state, and we cannot predict her next move. Ryan is a passionate performer and by the finale everyone in the room knows it.
The space is cosy, and with the fans blasting to counteract the heatwave, it can be a struggle to make out the dialogue, even when you’re close to the stage. Not a reflection on the show itself but an observation alone which added to the slightly haphazard experience.
That said, if you want a whistle-stop tour of these famous tales in a creative, entertaining way, Broadguess is one to support.
You can catch Broadguess at The Loft, Laughing House @ The Counting House from August 13-30 at 10:45 (55mins). Tickets are available at the EdFringe Online Box Office.
Maia Kahn
Freddie Haberfellner
