The Australian Shakespeare Company has begun their 2026 season with a bang thanks to the hilarious Peter Quince Presents Shakespeare’s Best Bits at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Melbourne.
Directed by veteran Glenn Elston, this tongue-in-cheek compilation of a multitude of Shakespeare’s works is a great night for friends and family to get together in the park for a good laugh.
Beginning the show, we are introduced to ‘The Athenian Players,’ the very same mob of amateur theatre makers seen in A Midsummer Night’s Dream as they prepare to put on a show for the Duke of Athens’ wedding.
This time, however, the performers are desperate to stop their director, Peter Quince (Jackson McGovern), from making them perform Pyramus and Thisbe. The performers successfully persuade Peter Quince to look through a book of the collected works of William Shakespeare.
Thus begins a journey through many of the Bard’s works, from well-known classics like Hamlet to more obscure works like Richard III.
These adaptations of Shakespeare are brought to life by a cast of multi-talented performers. McGovern’s Peter Quince is joined by Peter Houghton as Nick Bottom, Alex Cooper as Francis Flute, Hugh Sexton as Robin Starveling, Scott Jackson as Tom Snout, and Maddie Somers as Snug.
Each performer has their own unique skills they bring to the table, making their work as an ensemble that much more entertaining. They all give each other space to shine in their own moments and showcase their individual talents.
There is an incredible comedic pace to this production as the cast endeavours to milk comedy out of every spare moment. Thanks to the electric chemistry from the cast and the superb direction from Glenn Elston, the comedy flows with abundance. The audience is sure to be howling with laughter throughout.
Beginning with a relatively straightforward abridgement of Macbeth, the audience is simply not prepared for the lengths this production will go to reimagine Shakespeare’s works. It only becomes more delightfully obscene as the show goes on.
Thanks to Musical Director Paul Norton and Choreographer Sue-Ellen Shook, audiences can expect various musical and dance numbers throughout in a multitude of styles.
These additions certainly go far beyond the traditional boundaries of Shakespeare. Those willing to see the old texts pushed to their absolute limits or those who never much cared for those texts in the first place, though, are sure to be entertained.
The entire production has a nice laid-back vibe thanks to the choice of staging it in the Royal Botanical Gardens. Audiences are encouraged to bring their friends and family along to the show and to pack some snacks and buy a drink from the bar.
The cast occasionally join the audience in the crowd and playfully banter. They even take a few members of the crowd at some points to directly participate in the show.
Because of all this, Shakespeare’s Best Bits is a great pick for a fun night out with family or friends. It’s even suitable for people who wouldn’t typically have much interest in Shakespeare or theatre in general.
Peter Quince Presents Shakespeare’s Best Bits doubles as an entertaining entry point for those unfamiliar or uninterested in Shakespeare. It is also a delightful reinterpretation of many of the Bard’s works for long-term enthusiasts looking for something different.
Peter Quince Presents Shakespeare’s Best Bits runs to 17 January at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Southern Cross Lawns. Birdwood Avenue, Melbourne Vic 3000.
Tickets are available here.
Website: https://www.shakespeareaustralia.com.au/productions/bestbits-melbourne
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/shakespeareaust/
Photo credits: Ben Fon
