Upstart Crow. 8th February 2020, Gielgud Theatre

Ben Elton’s hit TV series, which owes much to the performance of David Mitchell, is named after an insult thrown at Shakespeare by a man who is probably only known for insulting the Bard. Shakespeare was apparently an uneducated actor, and yet he wrote dozens of some of the greatest plays in the language. But he is ripe for humour, and Elton has developed his satire on the modern world to the pre-Elizabethan period of William’s life: David Mitchell takes to the stage for the first time, with Gemma Whelan as Kate and Rob Rouse as Bottom.

The story, which is not based on anything seen on the TV, involves two “Moorish” twin washed up on English shores, separately looking for protection from the “Puri-titties”. Rachel Summers as Desiree, assumes the identity of a man and attracts the affection of plucky Kate. Kate’s activism mostly extends to wishing to tread the boards—but as everyone knows, you can only be an actor if you’ve got a ‘cod-dangle’—although she has also liberated Burbage’s bear. Meanwhile Burbage, the hammy actor/director leans on William for another play or they’re all lose favour in the court. Later we meet Shakespeare’s daughters: Helen Monks and Danielle Phillips are almost scene-stealing with their exuberant Stratford accent mixed with modern teenage dialogue.

Ben Elton’s knowingly modernist gags go quite far in amusing the audience, but it’s David Mitchell’s delivery and his chemistry with Whelan and Rouse that really make this show work. Steve Speirs as Burbage had to come to Mitchell’s aid when the actor had what can only be described as a wardrobe malfunction and needed to be hidden from the audience whilst he corrected the issue. It’s the unscripted moments that wouldn’t happen on TV that make the theatre experience a little richer.

This is a fun premise: Shakespeare, not as a posh and boring writer whose words are droned out by school-kids in a teaching method that’s hopefully a thing of the past. It’s Shakespeare as a jobbing writer, always reliant on his next hit—and the themes of theatre being for everyone. That’s wonderful. Ben Elton can’t resist on inserting long references to modern culture: “Black and Minority Ethnic” performers, and identity politics. All of it. He is also emphatically pro-women on stage… the central joke of the series which is fine and funny but the play might be a little too long, spending a bit too much time on what the audience has already seen. The bear pays off in a joke that’s sign posted in act one but because the performer under the bear costume is so endearing and capable of physical comedy, it works.

The ticket prices are a little high but this is David Mitchell’s stage debut and he is one of the country’s wittiest men. The show doesn’t break the fourth wall and involve the audience as much as expected but it does end with a dance. It’s a fun mix of traditional Shakespeare with a big spoonful of modern identity politics and all of what’s makes Ben Elton the inescapable voice behind it all.