| Time Out Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...
The Strange Tree ensemble strikes just the right balance, merrily lobbing joke grenades with its trademark faux-earnestness in scenic designer Jay Neander’s Easter egg–filled venue-within-a-venue. Phycus is probably a worthier addition to the canon than Double Falsehood."
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Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...Written by Tom Willmorth and directed by Ira Amyx, Phycus is framed as Shakespeare's first attempt at tragedy, rediscovered. The cast of six plays 31 roles with ease, and Stuart Ritter is a standout as Hamlet, Romeo, and Roman lackey Extranius. Filled with singing, dancing, political humor, and Shakespearean wordplay, the clever pastiche from the Strange Tree Group and the Lord Chamberlain's Men is a crowd pleaser."
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NewCity Chicago - Recommended
"...In this hilarious parody, Hamlet and Juliet are siblings, the former married to the Scottish Macbetty, the latter betrothed to the deformed Gloucester by their father the great King Phycus, whose Queen, Gertrude, has recently been murthered. Meanwhile, incongruously, Brutus is an Italian ambassador and Romeo a Roman spy. If this seems like a lot to handle, it is—and that’s not even all of it. Yet the ingenuity of Tom Willmorth’s script is well matched by an ensemble of energetic performers and increasingly clever staging by director Ira Amyx. The play’s jabs at Shakespeare and contemporary stage practice (their “authentic” Old Globe set totally misses the mark; Goldenberg and Rosensteen are bad improv performers) are right on the money, but standard Clinton jokes and “Matrix” fights are a bit tired for pop-culture references. Miraculously, the plot somehow comes together, despite its many comedic detours. Although it does end with a bunch of dead bodies onstage, “Shakespeare’s King Phycus” is no tragedy."
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Centerstage - Recommended
"...The Shakespeare jokes are mostly quite good. The entire cast does a great job with the material, they all clearly know the original material well enough to send it up, despite the fact it's parody, it works pretty well narratively. Strange Tree has done a spectacular job redesigning their usual venue, the Building Stage, to look like an Elizabethan court; Jay Neander's scenic design is one of the stars of the show."
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Chicago Stage Review - Highly Recommended
"...You do not need to be a dramaturg nor a member of The Society for Creative Anachronism to enjoy this show. There are a few minor problems, such as the Nurse character and the overall length (this script could have had thirty minutes of exposition cherry-picked out of it to its benefit). Still, this is a wonderful production of a fabulous new show, a show destined to become an audience favorite at Shakespeare houses around the world."
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ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...While Shakespeare patrons will cherish King Phycus, the references still will get newbies to The Bard to laugh because they are clearly and cleverly written and presented. This is one funny good time. Once Willmorth trims the show from 2 hours and 35 minutes to a swift 2 hours and 15 minutes, it’ll be even more enticing. As it now plays, it sure packs enough belly laughs to leave you pleasantly entertained."
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Chicago Theater Blog - Recommended
"...Some of the jokes go on a little too long, like a dance sequence between Brutus, Romeo, and Sardonicus that could use a good minute of cutting, but the production still stands up well despite these flaws. Like the play’s fictional history, the little details are what make Shakespeare’s King Phycus great, the chamber arrangement of “La Cucaracha” playing in the background of the ball, the improv warm-ups of Hamlet’s friends Goldenberg and Rosenstein. For anyone that loves Shakespeare and wants to see some of his best plays reconstructed then put together in the most haphazardly hilarious way possible, Strangetree’s productions will not disappoint."
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Steadstyle Chicago - Recommended
"...With a great script, lively acting, and a beautiful set, "King Phycus" is worth the trip to The Building Stage. Strange Tree Group is all about celebrating the "theatricality inherent in live performance" and this play is an absolute celebration of all the things we love about Shakespeare. I look forward to seeing more from Strange Tree, and you should too."
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