Russell Brand Does Shakespeare. To Be Or Not To Be Funny?

That title totally sounds like a set-up for a joke, right? Like, below this text you’ll expect to find a video of Russell Brand reciting Shakespeare jokingly or something like that.

But I’m completely serious. Russell Brand, along with an impressive list of British stars, is appearing in a film adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

If you’re unfamiliar with the play, here’s the gist: a boatload of people are brought to an island by the mystical powers of a spirit, controlled by an exiled duke, and all comedic hell breaks loose, Shakespeare style.

Brand will play Trinculo, a Jester, who along with a drunken Butler named Stephano, attempts to take control of the island, with hilarious results. Stephano, by the way, will be played by Alfred Molina.

Yeah, there’s a bunch of huge names in there. Djimon Hounsou is playing the demon Caliban, Alan Cumming is Sebastian, brother to the King of Naples, and the lead role…

…well, this is where it gets EVEN BETTER.

See, in the original play, the lead role is an exiled duke by the name of Prospero. However, in this adaptation, the gender has been switched. Prospero has become Prospera and will be played by:

HELEN EFFING MIRREN.

I am absolutely looking forward to this.