MacHomer

MacHomer
Written byRick Miller
William Shakespeare
Date premiered1995
Original languageEnglish
SubjectWilliam Shakespeare
The Simpsons
GenreComedy
Parody
Official site

MacHomer is a one-person play by Rick Miller which blends William Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth with the animated television series The Simpsons. Miller conceived the idea in 1994, when he was performing in a production of Macbeth. The first performance of MacHomer was at the Montreal Fringe Festival in 1995. MacHomer has been re-written a number of times. The early version of the play was more of a stand-up comedy routine, but in 2000, it was expanded into a theatrical production. In 2006, for the 10th anniversary tour, Miller further revamped the play, adding new songs and characters, and incorporating videos.

The script of the play "remains 85% Shakespeare" and mostly follows the plot of Macbeth. Miller performs the various roles using voices from The Simpsons characters, using more than 50 voices. The set includes a video screen at the back of the stage, and sound and video effects are incorporated into the performance. Miller has performed the play in over 150 cities around the world, including performances at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and the Just for Laughs comedy festival.

MacHomer has received largely positive reviews from critics, with praise going to Miller's impersonations. However, some critics felt that the play seems more like a group of sketches, while others felt that Miller's Homer Simpson voice was one of his weaker impersonations. According to Miller, The Simpsons creator Matt Groening is a fan of the play and gave him permission to perform it.