COMEDY OF ERRORS REMIXED

Courtyard Theatre

★★★★★

“We feel the actors are truly embedded into the story”

Intermission Theatre is the London platform for young theatre makers. Facilitated by alumni, over ten months a cohort of 40 disadvantaged London youths ages 16-25 take to the stage. Starting with workshops before leading to a final full-length production. This year’s Comedy of Errors Remixed, written by Darren Raymond and directed by Stephanie Badaru, debuts these brilliant performers (with various cast groups performing on different dates) into a modern William Shakespeare radical retelling.

From their native homeland of ‘Shakespeare’, Anthony and Dominique seek asylum in the UK. Unbeknownst to them, their identical twins that they believed to be dead, Ant and Dom, are living there. Only speaking Shakespearean, the twins are quickly mistaken for their London counterparts. Next ensues a hilarious family mix-up and reuniting of modern day English, specifically local London ‘street’, with the underdog Shakespearean text.

Through the lens of immigration scepticism, Raymond builds an accurate story of London today. The scrutinised Shakespearean ‘immigrants’, still technically speaking the same language to us, are cast aside as ill or malicious, especially police forces, struggling to understand them. A simple yet strongly explored story principle that showcases the unity and similarity between asylum seekers, immigrants and natives. That even if raised apart and speaking differently, all ultimately part of the same family, same people, same community.

The piece oozes successful comedy. A talented Anthony and Dominique play the brilliant confused and out of place siblings. Ant and Dom bring dynamic London characters, blamed for their hidden siblings’ actions. Easily distinguishable and amusingly paralleled. They call to Ant’s fiancee Adrianna’s, concerned and rightly unhappy with his perplexing behaviour. The reimagined merchants as London’s black market men bring hilarious repetitive madness. The auditorium constantly roars with laughter, either to them or the childishly nervous police officers.

The chorus, although shy at first, embrace the light of the stage as their energy levels match up and their dialogue in tandem stands out as powerful and funny. Adrenaline might have first taken these young performers to slightly rush, but over their double-casted almost month-long run, a more comfortable stage presence should emerge. Undeniably, the chorus carry a strong commitment to attention, creating their own dynamics and mannerisms, whilst acting as the true storytellers of the performance.

Aiding these budding actors is a perfectly fitting set (Constance Villemot), costumes and tech. With ‘modern costume’ so easily looking unrealistic to actual youth fashion, designer Sheree Paton has made a wonderfully fitting collection. A realistic and visually embracing interpretation to what we can expect the young London actors to wear themselves.

The tech, supported by young company members, provides excellent music choices (sound Pierre Flasse) and lighting design (Rajiv Pattani) to support the chorus amid smooth scene transitions. Much more enjoyable than the typical youth theatre fade to blackout and set reshuffle between acts. The moments between scenes are captivating, entertaining, taking up their own moments.

Most shocking is that this is alumni Stephanie Badaru’s first time directing. Aided by associate director Federay Holmes, the piece reads as exceedingly professional. From the shining students, to the more technical skills of blocking and creative choices that read to that of an already established, experienced theatre maker.

Intermission has created a uniquely impressive experience; this is the midway play between young people and Shakespeare. Breaking out of the strict white-centred school teaching, and meeting kids halfway. Not only in the cleverly crafted script, but the energy on stage. We feel the actors are truly embedded into the story, enjoying Shakespeare – as can be so difficult to do in class. Adapted and listening to their interests, language and opinions: this is Shakespeare for the young generation, with the impressive young amateur production to prove it.

COMEDY OF ERRORS REMIXED

Courtyard Theatre

Reviewed on 28th November 2025

by Charlotte D’Angelo

COMEDY OF ERRORS REMIXED

★★

“With some rewrites, this is a show that could easily shine.”

“He said/she said” is a conundrum that many have attempted, with varying success. And with the rise in right-wing rhetoric about traditional versus modern masculinity, these narratives have never been more fraught. Newcomer Max Allen’s Frat seeks to ask its audience — how far would you go to belong? In a post-#MeToo era, these topics are not just relevant, but desperately important. So why does it feel as though we never really tackle the issue?

Upon opening, we are plunged into complete darkness (a somewhat confusing choice from Lighting Designer Mason Delman) as we listen to Brent (Luke Stiles) shout at the pledges who are hoping to be offered full membership to the fraternity — to become brothers. When the lights return, we get a glimpse into the current goings-on in the fraternity house. Brent has recently been elected “Vice President External”, a position that Alex (Max Allen) clearly envies. We’re also introduced to Charles (Elliott Diner), the resident clown of the group, and Dexter, more frequently referred to as “Dex” (Will Hammond, an absolute stand-out in the cast), the token, slightly nerdy brother. They speak at length, often in strangely verbose prose, about the pledges they are currently considering for membership, the hazing those pledges will endure over the coming days, and most importantly, an upcoming mixer with other fraternities and sororities. Brent, it seems, has begun a rather risky flirtation with a sorority figurehead called Gabriella — it’s clear he wants to bring her as a date to the approaching party, but… she has a boyfriend. Or does she? We’re treated to several different narratives of the situation between them throughout the next forty-five minutes or so — until we go from “will they/won’t they”, to “did they/did he”.

What’s deeply frustrating about Frat is that it can’t quite find its feet over its sixty minutes of playing time — nor can the characters, which is no surprise given the shaky ground they’re treading. No one here seems to have any real consistency of character. Even Dex, the brother that you most expect to have something of a moral compass, waffles back and forth on his own principles in such a way that it could give you whiplash. In a disappointingly under-explored plot line, Dex becomes frustrated when a certain pledge is so thoroughly hazed that he ends up cold and pale on the floor of the fraternity’s basement. Dex looks for Brent, who is meant to be acting as Risk Manager at the party, but finds a drunk Alex instead. Dex comes in outraged, concerned about the pledge, but quickly gets sidetracked by gossip about his girlfriend. All concern for the boy on the floor, who likely needs medical attention, evaporates — and later on, we learn the pledge has been dismissed for being “high risk”. In fact, these “brothers” are so busy sniping, undercutting one another, that we struggle to care for them at all. The friendships they supposedly share just aren’t believable.

Perhaps this is why we don’t feel much when it all begins to fall apart in the final third of the play — because we haven’t been given enough reason to invest. It feels that the characters haven’t either. Moments that should reach emotional highs, inspire some fire in the characters, simply… don’t. The crescendo is surprisingly flat because the stakes just never felt that high to begin with. And the resolution itself feels unrealistic, given what we all know about how these situations usually resolve in the real world.

With all that said, the premise is a strong one, and one worth exploring. With some rewrites, this is a show that could easily shine. But right now, it feels like the fraternity floor, just after a party — incredibly sticky.

Tag Archives: Pierre Flasse

COMEDY OF ERRORS REMIXED

★★★★★

Courtyard Theatre

COMEDY OF ERRORS REMIXED

Courtyard Theatre

★★★★★

“We feel the actors are truly embedded into the story”