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A CurtainUp 
London Review
London ReviewShakespeare in Love
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"I'm still owed for One Gentleman of Verona. "
— Will
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Tom Bateman as William Shakespeare and cast (Photo: Johan Persson) |
So the wonderful galleried set could well be a reproduction of the Elizabethan theatre with solid looking oak galleries. The play opens with numerous characters in Tudor costume gathered round the figure of Will (Tom Bateman) who has writer's block. Paul Chahidi, fresh from Tony nomination as Maria in the Globe's version of Twelfth Night, plays theatre impresario Philip Henslowe who is being pursued for debt by Mr Fennyman (the magnificent Ferdy Roberts).
We meet the heroine, the awfully named Viola de Lesseps (Lucy Briggs-Owen), whose voice travels up and down the octaves like a pubescent boy with breaking voice. She is clearly a fan of theatre although her family have the intention of marrying her to M'Lord Wessex (Alistair Petrie and considerably less dashing than Colin Firth).
There has always been debate as to how the son of a glover from Stratford upon Avon could have penned the Shakespearean canon. The explanation here is that it is the very talented Christopher Marlowe (David Oakes) who supplies the words to the "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day" sonnet.
The love scenes between Will and Viola start with a chance meeting at a ball, where Will has gatecrashed, and follow on with a balcony scene with a Nurse (Abigail McKern) in the background. Did you guess the reference to a specific Shakespeare play? Yes, Romeo and Ethel the Pirate's Daughter. Viola disguises herself as a boy and auditions for a part in one of Shakespeare's plays at the theatre at a time when women actors were thought to offend moral decency and female parts were always played by boys.
Anna Carteret will overlook proceedings as Queen Elizabeth I and inspect Lord Wessex's bride. There is authentic music from Paddy Cuneen and lovely period dance. On the very top gallery, cast members overhang to glimpse some of the action below. Wessex and Will fight with swords.
On an authentic historical note, and much of Shakespeare in Love feels inauthentic, the only play we know that Shakespeare acted in was at Greenwich Palace because we have the accounts listing payment to him as an actor but we do not know which play he was in but it was probably Comedy of Errors.
It is is easy to see why Viola fell for Tom Bateman's tall and handsome Will although he bears little resemblance to the images we have of Shakespeare. Tom Bateman and David Oakes are brilliant as young blades, Shakespeare and Marlowe. I didn't warm to Lucy Briggs-Owen's Viola although she is excellent acting in the Shakespeare play and speaks the verse without compare. I adored Ferdy Roberts money lender turned actor Fennyman and theatre buff, Doug Rao's swaggering Edward Alleyn. And oh I really loved Spot the dog as played by Barney!
It is a romp of an evening and with plenty of wit from Tom Stoppard and Lee Hall and those of us less historically obsessed will be thrilled. There are plenty of theatrical in jokes and references, for example at a Tudor audition, an actor is asked about his "modern piece". The costumes are magnificent and the crowd scenes memorable and this stage spectacle is sure of a very long run.
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| Shakespeare in Love
Original Screenplay: Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard Adapted for the stage by Lee Hall Directed by Declan Donnellan Starring: Tom Bateman, David Oakes, Lucy Briggs-Owen, Ferdy Roberts, Paul Chahidi, Alastair Petrie, Doug Rao, Anna Carteret, Barney the dog. With: Ian Bartholomew, Tony Bell, Daisy Boulton, Michael Chadwick, Tom Clegg, Ryan Donaldson, Janet Fullerlove, David Ganly, Richard Howard, Harry Jardine, Abigail McKern, Amy Marchant, Sandy Murray, Timothy O'Hara, Patrick Osborne, Thomas Padden, Elliott Rennie, Colin Ryan, Charlie Tighe, Tim van Eyken. Designer: Nick Ormerod Music: Paddy Cuneen Choreography: Jane Gibson Lighting: Neil Austin Sound: Simon Baker Fights: Terry King Disney Theatrical Productions and Sonia Friedman Productions Running time: Two hours 40 minutes with an interval Box Office: 0844 482 5141 Booking to 25th October 2014 Reviewed by Lizzie Loveridge based on 22nd July 2014 performance at Noel Coward, St Martin's Lane, London WC2N 4AH (Tube: Leicester Square) |
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