Drunk Shakespeare Returns With Twelfth Night and a Christmas Twist

Drunk Shakespeare will be returning to Beijing with Twelfth Night for two booze-fueled weekends (Nov 24 and 25 and Dec 1 and 2)! Now an annual event in its own right, Drunk Shakespeare takes The Bard’s famous plays and infuses them with a hefty dosage of alcohol for a raucous night that is different each time.

The brainchild of Laurel Burns in collaboration with theater group Middle Kingdom Creatives, this year’s Drunk Shakespeare performance will be Twelfth Night, but with a Christmas twist! To get the full lowdown on what we can expect from this year’s edition we talked to Burns, who is directing the play. 

This will be the third Drunk Shakespeare performance in Beijing, however, for anyone unfamiliar with the concept can you give a brief introduction of how it works?
Drunk Shakespeare is a beautiful Frankenstein of a meaningful cultural event and crazy nightlife party. 
Our actors have been working tirelessly on the performance. Our rehearsals are (relatively) serious and we spend a lot of time analyzing the play and taking it all very seriously … But, on opening night, we will throw caution to the wind by getting a few actors drunk before the performance! Each night the drunk actors will be different, so each show will be unique! 

The play this time is Twelfth Night, why did you choose this play?
Twelfth Night is one of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies. Even if you think you don’t know this play, you will absolutely recognize some of the plot points and tropes. The themes of this play also revolve around ideas of grief, comfort, family and the importance of human connection. And those topics really support the “Holiday” theme we’ve chosen to present this play in. 

The play opens the weekend after Thanksgiving and you’ve said that it’s holiday themed, can you tell us a bit more about this? 
We will throw this famous play into a Victorian Christmas world! But don’t worry — it will still be full of dirty jokes and modern references, just dressed up like Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. The Drunk Shakespeare team is super excited to kick off the holiday season here in Beijing. We hope you leave the theatre feeling drunk and full of the holiday spirit.

How does it feel to be putting on Drunk Shakespeare for a third time and seeing the success it has had?
People have approached me in public so many times saying things like “Hey aren’t you the Shakespeare lady!?”. It’s amazing to me that the city has embraced Drunk Shakespeare as a kind of yearly tradition. It’s very validating because it began in 2021 as a passion project I was prepared to have fail, except it didn’t. It seems to have aligned with what the community here in Beijing is looking for, and I’m so thankful for all of the support and enthusiasm I’ve received. 

Can you tell us a bit about the cast this time around and the audition process?
We always hold open auditions for Drunk Shakespeare. Anyone in Beijing is encouraged to submit an audition video, and then my team and I will have the difficult job of choosing the cast. This year, we lost some of our Drunk Shakespeare veterans, who left Beijing and went back home. But luckily, in this new free era, there are plenty of newcomers to Beijing! We are privileged to have some Beijing fresh meat in the cast this year. 

Can you tell us about the venue you’ll be performing at this time, it’s a lot bigger than the previous venue?
Since the first Drunk Shakespeare, we have had a home at JinShangYuan. When we began, they were very new to hosting events, and we transformed their lecture room/bar into a performance space. After the success of our shows, JinShang decided to invest in building a real performance space! 

So, we are now moving our show to JinShang’s “Indoor Garden”, a multi-purpose venue with a stage, sound system, bar and plenty of beautiful space with art and atmosphere. We can now seat more than twice as many people each night! 

Will there be drinks available at the performance?
Yes, there are always drinks available to purchase at the show. We want our audience to get drunk with us! And backstage, our actors are taken care of by our sponsor QS, who have been providing meals and drinks for our actors throughout the rehearsal process. QS is also the designated after party location!

Do you have any other events planned for the near future?
There will certainly be a show coming in the Spring, but we still have some brainstorming to do! It’s best to stay connected with me and Middle Kingdom Creatives to get updates on upcoming projects. 

How can people get involved in future events or performances?
I’m happy to accept friend requests on WeChat. ID: laurelpalooza (or scan the QR code below). Or just say hi if you see me out in the wild! We are always happy to expand our community. 

Drunk Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night will be taking place at JinShang’s Indoor Garden on Nov 24 and 25 and Dec 1 and 2 at 8pm. Tickets are RMB 120 which includes a free drink and can be purchased by scanning the QR code in the poster above. 

JinShangYuan Garden Theatre
20 Xinyuanlixi, Chaoyang District
朝阳区新源里西里20号

READ: New York Based Comedian Miller Rogue Hits Beijing This Weekend (Nov 17-18)

Images: courtesy of  Drunk Shakespeare