Complete works of Shakespeare at the Maidment Theatre

Oliver Driver

The actors' costumes say it all, really. In this slice of Shakespeare, Oliver Driver, Jeremy Elwood and Keith Adams bound around the stage in red, yellow and blue Elizabethan garb - finished off with Chuck Taylors.

A favourite of slackers and outsiders, this retro basketball boot is a good indication of how silly the action is going to get and of how much these hardworking actors are going to leap and run about.

They have to be quick on their feet with the play's title promising all 37 of Shakespeare's plays in 97 minutes. But this is less Mercury Theatre and more theatresports.

It's a primary-colour romp through pop culture with Shakespeare as just one influence on society. It is Shakespeare as reality television, as rap, as a competitive sport.

A place where "To be, or not to be?" is just one question jostling for space along with topical issues such as: Is Michael Jackson innocent? Is Lomu's return to world-class rugby a good idea? Are Unitec-trained actors any good?

Yep, there are no sacred cows in this comedy show, least of all William Shakespeare.

Like all good comedy, the actors also take potshots at their own personality quirks and foibles, too.

We have Elwood as the straight man trying to keep the show together while honouring the Bard and stealing as much of the limelight as he can.

He is fighting a losing battle against Driver and Adams, who play-up all the self-indulgence of out-of-control actors and dominate the stage with their funny and twisted competition to prove who is the most professional actor.

Driver has a commanding and charismatic presence and has already proved his chops as a serious actor in many shows. In this performance he shows he can deliver the funny stuff too, be it silly physical comedy or a more intelligent but downright dangerous and cutting wit.

Keith Adams was lumbered with Juliet, Ophelia and all the other female roles and uses these as an excuse to release his inner diva.

He could have strayed too far into drag-queen territory but cleverly avoids that by channelling Elizabeth Taylor and other screen queens and is all the more funny for it.

He also gets to strut his stuff in the only serious delivery of Shakespeare, the "What a piece of work is a man!" speech from Hamlet - a spine-tingling moment that had the audience silent and thoughtful until it was finished to thunderous applause.

I loved the laughs throughout. But for the theatre geek in me, this was my favourite bit. The answer to the question: Why go to the theatre in the first place?

* The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) is at the Maidment Theatre until June 5