At the Stratford Zoo, the animals spend their nights preparing and performing Shakespeare. Their adaptation is pretty genius for young readers. A lion plays Macbeth, who eats the king (an owl) in order to take the throne himself. He’s forced to eat anyone else who might discover his treachery, and becomes bloated and uncomfortable as the play goes on. He even hears voices from within his belly. Now Detective Macduff is getting closer, but Macbeth doesn’t fear. The weird witches have promised him defeat only if impossible events occur.Of course, this production is scrubbed clean for young readers. The violence of the play is dealt with humorously and with a lot of ketchup. No one actually dies. Lady Macbeth is a hyena who is trying to rid herself of ketchup stains and her actual spots. There aren’t any ghosts. Much of the complexity is lost.However, major themes such as conscience, morality, and the pursuit of power are at the forefront. The main characters and major plot points remain intact. It can provide a good foundation for an elementary/middle grade reader to tackle Macbeth in high school or college.The book is very short and includes a fair amount of humor, which lightens the play. I especially enjoyed the reactions of the audience as they watched the performance.• No harsh language, sexual situations, or drug/alcohol use• Violence is done through special effects (ketchup) and no characters actually die This was a lot of fun, especially for someone who already knows the premise of Macbeth. Macbeth is one of my absolute favourite Shakespeare so I was looking forward to this. I'm not sure this could be said to be a child's first introduction to Shakespeare in a meaningful way but they'll love it for the pure humour of it. The art is fantastic, as I also enjoyed Giallongo's work in "Broxo". Bold and vibrant with a colour palette of mostly greens and blues to match the atmosphere of the tragedy of Macbeth. However, this version of the play is pure pleasure with zoo animals as the characters and a hungry lion eating his victims while they remain talkative in his tummy, instead of any murders. It was quite fun to see how imaginative Lendler could be with incorporating real elements of the Shakespeare into this parody. He even inserts a couple of direct quotes. Adults will have a good giggle at the pastiche while children will belly-laugh at the shear farce. The last page tells us the next coming attraction will be "Romeo & Juliet". Now that is one of my most hated Shakespeare but I have to say I'm quite looking forward to seeing what Lendler will do with it!
What do You think about The Stratford Zoo Midnight Revue Presents Macbeth (Stratford Zoo Midnight Revue, #1) (2014)?
I am still awed that they were able to make Macbeth this funny while sticking to the plot. A hoot!
—bookworm1999
This was so damn cute. Very clever, loved the art.Review to come.
—lika
Excellent adaptation. Ready for the next installment.
—leifsoderman
