#15SecondShakespeare. It’s this year’s Ice Bucket Challenge, but with less water and even more overacting.
The premise, if you’re new to the West End’s favourite hashtag, is that actors take frankly ludicrous pop song lyrics and perform them in the style of the world’s greatest playwright.
It is a gold mine of bite-sized silliness and has led to the London stage’s finest showing off their annunciation and emoting like never before.
You could spend your time sifting through Twitter and Instagram to find the very best offerings, or you could just scroll down the page, where we’ve created a collection of what are, in our humble opinion, the cream of the iambic crop.
Actor and composer, Arthur Darvill
Former Young Vic Hamlet, Michael Sheen
Current Shakespeare’s Globe Richard II, Charles Edwards
Former Wicked star, Louise Dearman
Les Misérables’ Carrie Hope Fletcher and Emma Kingston
Bend It Like Beckham The Musical’s Lauren Samuels
Dinner With Saddam’s Nathan Amzi
The Vote’s Myanna Buring
For @jadeanouka nominations on Twitter #15secondshakespeare X
A video posted by myannaburing (@myannaburing) on Sep 23, 2015 at 4:13pm PDT
Mr Foote’s Other Leg’s Joseph Millson
@davidfynnn #15secondshakespeare
A video posted by vinegarmillson (@vinegarmillson) on Sep 23, 2015 at 6:35am PDT
Former The Phantom Of The Opera star, Ramin Karimloo
A video posted by Ramin Karimloo (@raminkarimloo) on Sep 22, 2015 at 7:04pm PDT
Jersey Boys’ Edd Post
My effort for #15secondshakespeare #shakeit #junk #allaboutthatbass #actor #shakespeare
A video posted by Edward Post (@eddpost) on Sep 21, 2015 at 4:57am PDT
The Wars Of The Roses’ Michael Xavier
A video posted by Michael Xavier (@michaelxavieruk) on Sep 20, 2015 at 9:54am PDT