Spymonkey’s Complete Deaths

I had the chance to see a great production recently at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. The show is called The Complete Deaths by Spymonkey, a British troupe of clowns/physical comedians.  If you’ve been to Las Vegas, you may have seen their work, as they created all of the comedy numbers in the Cirque du Soleil show Zumanity.  They are known for their wacky physical theatre, their crazy costumes, and their off-kilter situations and characters.It’s only there through December 11, so if you want to see it, you need to hustle!

In the show, they try to perform all 75 of Shakespeare’s onstage deaths in one show.  It’s a great concept, and one that I wish I’d thought of.
The show is directed by Tim Crouch, who performed earlier in the year the remarkable show I, Malvolio. I reviewed that show a couple of years ago when I saw it in NY.  In that review  I suggested that Crouch was great, but he could take the show from an 8 to a 10 by taking a clown workshop.  Apparently, he took my advice, as he is now working with Spymonkey.  I would very much like to know if it affected his own show.

In case you were wondering, deaths portrayed include (according to the program) 23 stabbings, 12 sword fights, 5 poisonings, 2 throats cut, 1 smothering, 3 by natural causes, 4 by wounds, 2 explosions, 2 heartbreaks, 3 mob killings, 2 beatings, and 3 others through miscellaneous causes.

I’ve got a full review over at Dadapalooza.com, where I reviewed it as part of my date night series.  But in three words, SEE THIS SHOW!  YOU WON’T REGRET IT.

(That’s 7 words, but you know what I mean!)

Spymonkey is also giving a workshop on clowning on Monday December 11.
Cost is $100 and tickets/more info are available here: https://www.chicagoshakes.com/plays_and_events/deaths/spymonkey_workshop