fig. 1 William Shatner, ready to blast you with his love machine
So you may well have started to hear rumours of this mythic spectacular called William Shatner Karaoke. Well, if you want in, the time has come to lay down your cards, cross the line, and do all the other things that historically designate that you want to be involved.
But first, the preamble.
What is William Shatner Karaoke?
Way back when in the mists of time Forest Fringe co-director Debbie Pearson was almost unhealthily fixated on the musical oeuvre that one-time Sci-fi embarrassment and latter-day post-ironic superstar William Shatner was busily carving for himself.
If you haven’t had the opportunity to experience the musical stylings of The Man the kids call Shat, then let us illuminate you:
Shatner takes a popular song.
Shatner transforms popular song into an evisceratingly earnest monologue, to a gentle instrumental backing of the original songs melody
Shatner delivers said monologue clutching a cigarette a speaking straight to camera.
The world looks on aghast/amazed.
In thrall to this spectacular act of re-interpretation, Debbie coined the idea of William Shatner Karaoke. An opportunity for all of us to treat some classic songs with the kind of painfully serious monologuing they never asked for or expected.
A legend was born.
Flash forward several years…
On Monday 9th August, as part of our night of music and performance at Forest Fringe from 11pm onwards, we are going to host William Shatner Karaoke in public for the very first time, with live musical accompaniment from the good, good people of Little Bulb Theatre.
So here’s what you need to do to be involved:
1) Choose a song.
2) In the comments or via email to andy[at]forestfringe.co.uk, leave us the name of that song and your own name, and any accompanying notes you might want us to have.
3) Turn up on the night ready to deliver that song to camera as a totally earnest spoken word monologue.
4) You do not need to deliver it in the style of William Shatner, in fact, you should almost definitely find your own style for it.
5) We’ll provide musical accompaniment and a live video feed projected on a giant screen behind you.
6) Try and bring the lyrics along with you though we will also endeavour to supply them ourselves.
7) We’ll also try and have some extra spots for people to join in on the night.
AND THAT’S ABOUT IT.
Please also note that if this proves spectacularly popular two things will definitely happen.
1) We won’t be able to get round to everybody’s song.
2) It will make a return at our closing party on the 21st August.
Right. Good luck. Get suggesting.
Let us boldly go where none of us have dared go before.