The Hand Theater never disappoints, and Shakespeare x 5 is no exception. If you are looking for theater in the classical sense of the word, you will not find it here. Shakespeare x 5 is an opportunity not to watch something polished, but to experience the very process of theater with its charming imperfections and pure emotion through the prism of entertainment and laughter.

Interactive approach

It is impressive how successfully Shakespeare x 5 transforms the audience from passive spectators into active participants. From addressing the audience directly, to involving them in little jokes, to bringing some of them onto the stage to play the leading roles, the performance clearly states its mission to truly touch the living people in the hall. To completely blur the line between the stage and the people in the seats.

“Hand” deserves admiration for creating a show that is truly accessible to everyone, paying special attention to people with disabilities, both in purely technical terms and through the attitude of the staff and the actors themselves.

Plot and ideas

Shakespeare x 5 has an abstract storyline, presenting us with a parody interpretation of Romeo and Juliet that is so far from the original that it could just as well be called “A colorful, entertaining chaos spewed onto the stage from Kenny’s mind.” And a title like that would also make me want to buy a ticket right away.

The plot follows two actors who, hoping to be understood, present Romeo and Juliet to the audience over and over again in five increasingly absurd versions that either make you laugh out loud or enjoy what is happening with a smile.

Right from the start, we see the skillful use of props. While everywhere else we see a desire for props, costumes, and sets to be as expensive and polished as possible, here imperfection is a sought-after effect. Absurdities such as Benvolio wearing a clown wig on a stick and inflatable swords bring us back to the spirit of childhood, when a few rags were enough for us to create worlds.

The fast-paced version is entertaining and positive, successfully raising the energy in the hall.

The slow version had a lot of potential and definitely should have lasted longer. It is understandable that the director did not want to risk boring the audience, but the slow-motion scenes provide an excellent opportunity for total overacting and lots of laughter, so we should have seen more of it. Or at least the “blood feud.”

In the fourth version, the audience itself plays, and the fifth ironically combines every form of stage performance ever known to create an entertaining mishmash. And although each of them was wonderful in its own right, their places definitely had to be swapped.

After the audience version, people expected that this was the finale. The energy was very high, and since we ourselves had already played on stage, there was nowhere else to go, so the only logical conclusion was the end. The balloons that the audience was armed with for this act also played an additional role. It was a great idea, but it wasn’t so great during the fifth act, when people were popping the balloons so loudly that they practically drowned out the actors.

For its part, the mixed version was not the strongest. Some things worked out very well, but others not so much. I could watch some, such as the Balkan version of Romeo and Juliet, for hours, but others, such as the jazz musical, were completely unnecessary.

It would have been far better to perform the mixed version first and then, immediately after the audience’s participation, move on to the final monologue, which brought us an explosion of emotions and inspiring destruction.

Whether the monologue had anything to do with the play is quite debatable, but a call for rebellion and individualism is always welcome.

Actors

Ivomir Ignatov-Kenny – Of course, Kenny was wonderful, both with his ideas and their execution on stage, and his Juliet was definitely one of the highlights of the evening.

Zdravka Hristozova – If we had to choose one thing that really stood out during the entire performance, it would be Zdravka Hristozova. Her exceptional charisma was the key factor in making the audience feel comfortable with such an interactive performance. Her positivity flooded everything around her and gave the confidence that someone knows how to guide you through a wonderful experience.

Important details

• The hug at the end – A very powerful and profound moment that Kenny and Zdravka decided to share with us, for which we can be grateful to them.
• Making them laugh before the curtain rises – It’s not an easy task to make people laugh from the very first second, even before the curtain has risen, but “Shakespeare x 5” managed to do it.
• Juliet’s charming and extremely funny decision not to marry Paris because he is “hollow and insipid.”
• The decision to have the inflatable prop bow at the end was a bold and absurd joke that worked perfectly.
• The fact that Benvolio had to play the palm trees was great. But when, at the end of the performance, you realize that there was actually an inflatable palm tree in the props the whole time, it becomes genius.

Summary

Shakespeare x 5 is an unusual, charming, absurd comedy that the actors pr