Shakespeare invented a lot of words, such as "eyeball," "swagger," and even "puking," but I’m pretty sure “noogie” wasn’t one of them. Still, it doesn’t feel out of place in The Old Globe’s 90s-inspired, 90-minute romp through “The Comedy of Errors,” now playing through August 24th on the Lowell Davies Festival Theatre’s outdoor stage. This one-act production zips by like a very special extended episode of a TGIF sitcom, equal parts Shakespeare and sitcom slapstick.

Let’s be kind and rewind. The original plot is classic Shakespearean chaos: Two sets of twins, separated at birth by a shipwreck, unknowingly wind up in the same city years later. Mistaken identities ensue, a wife mistakes her husband for his identical twin, and a servant gets repeatedly smacked for things he didn’t do. Everyone’s confused, angry, or in love, and occasionally all three. Shakespeare called it a “comedy,” but in this production, it’s Friends: Shipwreck Edition, and they’ve replaced Phoebe and her twin, Ursula.

Director James Vásquez seems to have had one guiding principle: more fun, less filler. He trims the text down to 90 brisk, intermissionless minutes, dials the hijinks up to eleven, and sets the whole thing in a 1990s neon dream of a cityscape, complete with tattoo parlors, a convent, and a nightclub. It’s only surprising that a Blockbuster didn’t make an appearance.

The cast of *The Comedy of Errors*, 2025. Photo by Jim Cox.

Performance-wise, it features a strong ensemble. Sarah Stiles as Adriana, the high-strung wife with curly hair that Fran Drescher’s “The Nanny” would envy. At the same time, her sister, Heather Velazquez’s Luciana, somehow manages to be both deadpan and dreamy.

Brandon Micheal Hall and Joshua Echebiri as the Antipholus twins balance mistaken identity with sharp comic timing and clear personality differences, even if, for this comedy to work, no one else who interacts with them seems to notice.

Will Blum’s Dromio of Syracuse is pure chaos energy, popping popcorn mid-scene and thriving in the confusion. Daniel Petzold’s Dromio of Ephesus is equally funny but would like everyone to stop hitting him.

(from left) Daniel Petzold as Dromio of Ephesus and Will Blum as Dromio of Syracuse in *The Comedy of Errors*, 2025. Photo by Jim Cox.

There are plenty of sitcom tropes to play with here, and that’s because they are all supported by the play itself. There’s the sassy sidekick, the endless misunderstandings, the heartfelt sibling moments, and the nerdy girl in glasses becomes beautiful after a “makeover” where they remove her glasses and put her hair down. Ok, maybe that last one is not so much from the text.

There’s even a glowing neon “The More You Know” moment. Count how many “Friends” references you note between the umbrellas in the opening to the theme song at the end. Most scenes are punctuated with ‘90s jams to further drive home the sitcom feel. Cranberries? Check. Tupac? You bet. Ace of Base? Of course. Many snippets of '90s music punctuate the end of scenes and transition the show into the next one.

Amanda Vander Byl’s costumes are spot on and showcase the highs and lows of that decade of fashion. Plaid skirts, crop tops, oversized flannels, cargo shorts, and longer suit jackets in a bold color and a pinstripe. I can’t roast them because I remember most of them fondly.

The quick change and neon-highlighted scenery was designed by Lawrence E. Moten III, with lighting design by Sherrice Mojgani, and sound design by Melanie Chen Cole.

Come for the Shakespeare, stay for the dance party, but please, leave your inner Chandler Bing at home.

How To Get Tickets

“The Comedy of Errors,” now playing through August 24th on the Lowell Davies Festival Theatre at The Old Globe. For ticket and showtime infromaiton, go to www.theoldglobe.org