Many years ago early encounters with this Shakespeare play induced such brain aching boredom that I swore to never to put myself through the ordeal of seeing it again. Standing in to review it at the last moment for an indisposed Thomas Michael Voss I'm amazed and delighted to be able to report that director Christopher Luscombe and the Royal Shakespeare Company actors at the Haymarket Theatre have made it a lot of fun.It's still very wordy with dense archaic jokes which I struggle to imagine were funny in 1590 let alone now when only a scholar would get the obscure classical references but this team so beautifully capture the joy of being young and in love that it scarcely matters and the two hours fly by.
Principally it's the story of how four young noblemen swear to give up the company of women during their studies but are persuaded otherwise by a delectable bunch of French ladies. There are some very tedious clown characters but if you allow yourself to zone out whilst these scenes quickly pass there's still much fun to be had from the flirtations and sparring of the young aristocrats.
Luscombe follows Trevor Nunn's lead of setting it all during the carefree days just before the First World War. On alternate nights you can watch another Shakespeare comedy, a later, better one, Much Ado About Nothing, with the same cast, which Luscombe cleverly sets just after the First World War.
But it's the first play which is the most taxing for director, actors and audience endurance.
When you enter the lovely Haymarket Theatre you're met with the sight of Simon Higlett's beautiful oak, book lined, county house set, bathed in the warm glow of Oliver Fenwick's lighting, promising an evening of Downton Abbey style gentility and they have plenty of other visual delights for you through out the evening including a gorgeous scene set on a roof.
The handsomely costumed cast handle the opening scenes with both clarity and flare, perfectly setting up the rom. com. that's to come. All four couples are so obviously destined to end up in the arms of their respective lovers that you get a lovely tingle of anticipation at the inevitable outcome and it's a lot of fun watching everybody try to dodge their fate.
They're led by Edward Bennett and Lisa Dillon, witty and charismatic as the waggish Berowne and his intended, Rosaline, and Sam Alexander and Leah Whitaker are lovely as monarchs in waiting, enjoying one last burst of youthful care free pleasure before adult responsibility, and in this case the horrors of The Great War, overwhelm them.
As for the "comic" characters, a "Funny foreigner", crusty old school teacher, chirpy page boy and cheeky chappy, lower-class type, director and actors employ the usual gamut of silly voices, slapstick mugging and when all rise fails simply speeding through the verbiage at top speed to keep things bowling along. That isn't meant to denigrate their skills, they make these scenes funnier than I'd have ever imagined.
The boorish idiots in the audience around me claimed not to have understood any of it but as with seeing any classic text in performance, a little reading up before hand will enhance your enjoyment and reward your time.
The atmospheric lighting and Nigel Hess' evocative music will also help you feel the right emotional response at any given time, should you lose your way.
Nastazja Domaradzka reported on the experience of seeing both plays in one day, on this site recently and Thomas Michael Voss will review Much Ado for you tomorrow.
If it's anything like Loves Labours he'll have a lovely time.
DREAMGIRLS, charting the rise to success of a 1960's Supremes-style girl group 'The Dreams', crackles along at a lively pace with plenty of soul, sass and colour.