Antonio!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Antonio! is a new musical produced by Butch Mermaid productions which is currently running at 17.00 daily at theSpace @ Surgeons Hall.

Antonio! tells the story of one of the lesser known Shakespearean characters whose name pops up in a series of the Bard’s works creating a theory that Antonio was a lover of Shakespeare, this show plays on that theory portraying the titular character as a queer rock icon leading his band, ‘Fools for Love’ in the portrayal of these encounters with the iconic playwright. Within this piece, we witness Antonio as they embark on adventures which later form inspiration for The Merchant of Venice and Much Ado About Nothing, much to Antonio’s anger.

This show is so engaging and absolutely bonkers to the highest level, the cast are insanely talented, are so multitalented, effortlessly switching between playing an instrument and being part of the story. William Duignan shines as the titular star who tells this story with such ease and experience. The songs in this show are also so catchy and I still have them going around in my head even after having seen multiple shows since.

This show is brilliant, but sadly it is way too short, clocking in at just under 45 minutes, I was disappointed when it finished. I cannot recommend it highly enough, it is selling fast so act quickly, before it’s too late!