Dear Taipei,

Last Friday I was invited to the premiere of Bomb-itty of Errors, a new theatre production directed by Brook Hall at The Lab Space theater.

Described as “hip hop x Shakespeare x SNL”, the play successfully resuscitates the Shakespeare classic, The Comedy of Errors, with an unabashed injection of modernity.

The opening scene of Bomb-itty of errors introduces us to the two sets of twins central to the play (Photo credit: The LAB Space)

Following the fundamental storyline of The Comedy of Errors, albeit with a trove of contemporary cultural references, Bomb-itty is the story of two sets of identical twins split up at birth who fatefully end up in the same city. Of course, this minor fact is completely unbeknownst to any of them, and is the subsequent cause of all manner of cases of mistaken identity.

As the litany of problems pile high, the audience can revel in the hilarious treat of watching the whole emotional catastrophe unfold from the sidelines.

The whole ordeal is rapped by a dynamic cast made up of Meg Anderson, Steve Coetzee, Airy 小女伶, and Charlie Storrar. First night jitters were notably absent from the confident and convincing cast, who didn’t miss, or mess up, rapping a single line. Their vivacious performances were most certainly appreciated by the audience, who I folded over with laughter throughout the performance.

Credit should also be given to the live DJ set by DJ Cross Cutz, whose inclusion helped keep the whole play punchy and the actors on beat.

Bomb-itty is a definite break from the usual lineup of plays shown at The LAB Space. If you caught the brilliant play God of Carnage, and are expecting something similar, don’t. You’ll need to go in with an open mind and a sense of humor to make the most of this unconventional play.

The pace is relentless, so if your ears aren’t perked you may miss some lines. Perhaps it was just me, but I found it a bit difficult to properly hear what the actors were saying when they were all rapping at once.

If you can read Mandarin, you have the added bonus of referring to the Chinese subtitles which appear above the set.

It’s a 90 minute whirlwind of love and betrayal, topped off with a healthy dose of crossdressing. As the promo correctly claims, “Shakespeare’s never sounded so fresh!”

-TTT

Bomb-itty of Errors

When: November 18-20, 25-27, December 2-4 

All shows start at 8:00 p.m. (Doors open 30 minutes before curtain)

Price: $700

Tickets can be bought at the door, but it is recommended they are booked online in advance to avoid disappointment.

Where: The LAB Space (實演場)
No 9., Section 1, Beitou Road, Beitou District, Taipei
北投路一段9號, 北投區台北市11245

Nearest MRT: A short 5 minute walk from Qilian MRT Station Exit 2.

More information:

Ticket Booking Website

Bomb-itty Event Page on Facebook

The LAB Space Official Website