Fakespeare

Patrick Hercamp did a marvellous job of telling the story of Macbeth in Lehman’s terms. His energy and pace made this possible in 45 minutes, and kept the audience engaged with sections to join in on by making sounds and noises that married up with parts of the show. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this but thoroughly enjoyed it. Patrick has a great memory of Shakespeare shows and summed up the “Scottish play” rather nicely.

Hilarious spiratic comedy about a Shakespeare play…. Which one… won’t know till you get there.

Character work was phenomenal, Crowd integration was fantastic, it kept you waiting/wanting more.

Hope to see more of this in future Fringes. 10/10

If you’re into those frenetic, fast-paced recap videos of movies and tv shows, this is for you. There plenty of jokes and it goes by too quickly for you to get very bored, and it’s only 45 minutes. That being said, this didn’t add anything new for me that hasn’t been joked about countless times in English classrooms across the world.

Big Shakespeare fan and saw the performance on the 16th. This is my first time attending any Fringe Festival and Fakespeare was the first performance on my schedule. The Scottish Play (aka, Macb...) was the audience-chosen play. Great fun and would see it again to catch the other offered play - Hamlet - next time I'm Fringing!

The production of Fakespeare is a classic retelling of Shakespeare’s best tales. The play was chosen by members of the audience while Patrick Hercamp took the stage as Master William Shakespeare, acting out the scenes with help from the audience. His stunning performance of Macbeth was a one to remember. Hercamp’s amazing energy on and off the stage hyped the audience and made them ecstatic with each scene.

His rendition of “the scottish play” was a funny yet witty retelling. His actions spoke louder than words as he described the characters in his own way. Each character had its own voice and actions to represent their uniqueness. He kept the audience on their toes by adding his own uniqueness to the tale. Although he told the classic story of Macbeth, the show had its own improvised charm.

Hercamp states that his favorite part of doing this production is “showing the audience that Shakespeare can actually be fun. I like the audience participation and getting to connect with my audience and become friends with them over the course of the show because we are all on Macbeth or Hamlet's journey together and bringing it to life.”

His theatrical performance took the stage by storm. He created a funny, energetic environment for anyone in the theatre. His acting skills were captivating to the entire audience. Many people who have watched his performance have already spoken about going back for more and even watching different versions of his show. I for one would love to be able to see his version of Hamlet, because his rendition of Macbeth was award winningly brilliant.

Fakespeare is proof that sometimes all it takes is one person, a stage, and a whole lot of charisma to make Shakespeare click. This single-man show tackled "the Scottish play" with modern language, quick wit, and just the right amount of improv to keep the audience on our toes.

The whole thing had a bard-like quality, almost like a shanty in an old tavern—storytelling with rhythm, call and response, and plenty of laughter rolling through the room. That energy pulled us right into the story, making us feel less like passive spectators and more like part of the tale itself.

What really struck me was how seamlessly he shifted between characters, breaking down centuries-old text into something sharp, funny, and instantly understandable. I left realizing I had more clarity on Macbeth than I ever did in high school, and with a lot more laughs along the way.

Fakespeare turns Shakespeare into something alive and hilarious. If only English class had looked like this, I might’ve passed the first time.

A fast and funny retelling of Shakespeare's works delivered at break-neck speed with plenty of (non-threatening) audience participation. Patrick gave the audience the option of which play he would perform - tonight it was Hamlet, but I'll be back again to see Macbeth another night!

That was a wild ride of energy for such a late show. We had never been a Shakespeare fan before, but we saw Fakespeare was still playing , so we gave it a shot. Glad we did. Patrick was engaging from the start. Took us on a Journey of Hamlet even though we could have chosen "The Scottish Play". I think I can safely say I like Shakespeare now. That was just a very fun show and I learned something from it. We plan to go back again. Just not so late.