Review of 'Shakespeare in Love'
From the screenplay by Marc Newman and Tom Stoppard, Lee
Hall has adapted "Shakespeare in Love" for the stage. The play follows the
story of young William Shakespeare as he suffers with writers block whilst in
the process of writing ‘Romeo and Juliet’ (or ‘Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate's
Daughter’ as he first deems his well known love story). Upon casting the role
of Romeo, Will's path crosses with the beautiful Viola De Lesseps which infuses
him with the passion to write his intoxicating masterpiece. Trials and
tribulations strike the young couple from law braking antics to heroic scenes
of love to culminate into one of the most beautiful twists on classic theatre
we've seen to date.
It played in the intimate Noël Coward Theatre, set in Shakespeare’s'
Elizabethan era. The staging itself was very clever yet also simplistic. Two
balconies created a sense of his globe theatre as well as bed chambers, grimy
taverns and a long voyage ship! The costumes, on the contrary, were luxuriously
made: Queen Elizabeth’s gown had plush white peacock feathers on the back of
her intricate period dress, complete with golden ruff and farthingale (the
large hooped skirt underneath). Viola’s dresses too had beautiful encrusted jewels
with elegant, flamboyant designs. Of course Tom Bateman's costume (Shakespeare)
was cliché-ishly simplistic but then anything different would have been a
disappointment.
Lucy Briggs-Owen who played Viola De Lesseps portrayed a gloriously
passionate character. The perfect balance of tomboy and elegant Lady, more so
than even Gwyneth Paltrow who played the young heroine in the previous film.
She would often make us laugh out loud with her giggles and outraged glances as
circumstances trapped her in the most compromising situations. Yet she would
equally break our hearts with her inconsolable desperation and battles for her
soul-mate. I particularly felt enthralled by her passionate declarations of
love for not only young Will's work but also for himself.
Of course Tom Bateman (Shakespeare) was just as excellent
(if not more so) and the chemistry between him and Briggs-Owen was faultless.
He played the role with accurate precision and mastery of the role. In some
stages hopeless, then hopeful, then consumed and intoxicated with love to being
equally heartbroken. He fought with passion and bravery in some scenes and even
ended up becoming a fool to lighten the tension (particularly when he disguises
himself as Viola's chamber maid). A true lead for this challenging and
demanding role that most definitely exceeded my expectations as he dominated
the whole show.
Overall: 4.5 Stars.
Of course, I’m a huge fan of Shakespeare's work so I felt
this helped with some of the 'in' jokes, however I'd thoroughly recommend to
anyone who loves good theatre. It has laughs, cries, passion, drama, a good
solid yet clever plot and above all a glorious cast.
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