Having
not seen the film Shakepeare in Love (despite it winning 7 Academy Awards)
before watching this production, I had no idea of the story or what to expect
other than a romantic comedy. So wonderfully surprised was I, that not only did
I watch the film the next day, I returned to the theatre the following week to
see the show again!
TomBateman pulls off a convincing Shakespeare who is suffering from writer’s
block, until he meets and falls in love with Viola (Lucy Briggs-Owen). However he
firsts meets her under the guise of Thomas Kent, a young ‘man’ wishing to
audition for a part in Shakespeare’s yet-to-be-completed play. The rehearsal
process is beset by problems and even after several obstacles have been
overcome, there is backstage chaos on show night.
The play is hilariously witty with several great supporting
performances from Abigail McKern as Nurse Paul Chahidi as Henslowe whose
hopeful optimism of ‘it’s a mystery’, in relation to how it will all come
together, turns out to be true indeed.
My favourite line though was delived by Queen Elizabeth (AnnaCarteret) ‘She’s been plucked….and not
by you!’
I’ve seen the matinee, I’ve seen the evening performance …and I
may very well see this production again before it finished it’s run.
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