Marlowe's Fate NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (48)
See it if You are genuinely curious about who Shakespeare really was. Its funny, there are puppets, and they play Jethro Tull in between acts.
Don't see it if If you want a big Broadway musical
See it if you love The Bard, are curious about the controversy surrounding his existence, or just like creative theater.
Don't see it if you're extremely parochial about your Shakespeare or don't enjoy a little mischief in a show. Not an LOL comedy, but witty and fun. Read more
See it if every once in a while your brain needs a shake up and you've already seen Stoppard. This was great fun, everyone giving it their all--Bravo!
Don't see it if You don't want to consider that perhaps Shakespeare didn't write those plays: this makes a case in Marlowe's favor, presented effectively.
See it if the premise that Marlowe did not die but was exiled to Italy and continued writing with Shakespeare as his English front is interesting.
Don't see it if you are not interested in Marlowe or Shakespeare and are not willing to consider that Shakespeare did not write his plays, but Marlowe did.
See it if If you are interested in Shakespeare and have some knowledge of those times. I think this show is underrated. start of 2nd act was awesome.
Don't see it if If you are not interested in shakespeare at all, you will be bored at this show
See it if if you like a very unusual theory about Shakespeare and Marlowe. Very witty story and wonderful acting. Don't miss the 1st scene of Act 2!
Don't see it if if you are a purist about Shakespeare and don't like any controversy about him. You won't like this play if you have no humor. Read more
See it if You enjoy conspiracy theories concerning the bard or just a fan of the era. The play is well acted and well written. Well worth a visit.
Don't see it if you hate Shakespeare or prefer contemporary plays.
See it if You are interested in the Marlowe/Shakespeare controversy, and are open to "what if"; a clever presentation, fun and well researched
Don't see it if you do not like historically oriented plays which poke fun at Shakespeare, and challenge your beliefs, even with puppets to add humor. Read more
Critic Reviews (6)
“More of an argument than a play, and the characters are not much more than mouthpieces for theories that have been more persuasively argued elsewhere. Therefore, the evening makes for, as Shakespeare might state, a very long ‘two hours traffic of our stage.’ This is a pity since there is some fine writing, and there are notable passages that nicely convey Elizabethan inflections and syntax.”
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"Hodges is a more accomplished playwright and literary researcher than director, allowing a great many different English accents to be used. Not only is the acting quite broad, it is also superficial and surface. All of the actors double with second appearances as other characters often following in the very next scene which is quite confusing, though most of the actors are not adept at playing two roles differently."
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“A nifty, literate mystery...The best scene is the battle of wits between Shakespeare and Marlowe, staged as a mock puppet wrestling match...Although the play ends on a dreary note, its illumination of the lives of the characters—each actor portraying multiple figures—keeps the audience on its toes and constantly surprised. Hodges’s easygoing direction and the talent of this five-member cast keep the stylized dialogue zipping along with intensity and humor.”
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“Whether you find this story plausible or not, it works very well within the world of the play...Somewhat reminiscent of ‘Shakespeare in Love’...This isn’t a casual comedy. You’ve got to pay attention. It’s theatre that forces you to listen and think...A mid-show puppet boxing match...Ridiculous as it sounds, it somehow works - and works beautifully...The actors are wonderfully versatile...An intriguing, surprisingly enjoyable exploration.”
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“There is much confusion with the cast playing two and three roles...There was too much confusion what with Jethro Tull music playing in-between acts and the Punch and Judy show with puppets...I was lost in translation as to why much of this play was happening. Also a lot of the acting by the men seemed to border on yelling instead of layering...In need of an anchor and better direction by the playwright. Sometimes you need another eye to stage your work.”
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"A delightful new play...Directed with great skill...Hodges tells a neatly concocted tale of escape, life in hiding and the biggest hoax in world history. He gets wonderful performances from a truly lovable cast. They almost convince you that Marlowe actually did it...It’s hard to believe, though...If Marlowe wrote all those plays and became so famous, why did he never step forward out of hiding to accept the applause?"
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