LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST
October 8, 2008
Royal Shakespeare Company, Courtyard Theatre, Stratford, until November 15, 2008.
ALL the fuss at Stratford this season has been about David Tennant’s Hamlet. But there’s another production in which the current Time Lord is making an appearance, and it couldn’t be more different.
Love’s Labour’s Lost is one of the less-performed of the Shakespeare canon, and the reason is generally considered to be that it is wordy, heavily dependent on Elizabethan gags that don’t easily translate, and actually not all that funny.
Gregory Doran’s beautiful new production for the RSC makes serious inroads into many of these accusations and, if not wholly successful, has a damned good stab at making it a worthwhile exercise.
As with Doran’s other shows for the company this year – the Dream and Hamlet – it looks fabulous, with elegant lighting by Tim Mitchell and a set by Francis O’Connor that is dominated by an extraordinary tree.
It is also complemented by a wonderful score from Paul Englishby, full of subtlety and playfulness and a delight to sit back and enjoy.
Among the performers, there are some issues with audibility, although most of the ensemble manage to derive a degree of sense and meaning from the sometimes obscure wordplay.
For an actor, having a genuine star talent like David Tennant lead the company must be something of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, there’s the joy of watching him work and the acclaim by association his performances seem to bring. On the other, everybody else is inevitably in his shadow to some degree.
So although the part of Berowne is just one of eight young people working through their complicated oaths and emotions, the production is unquestionably Tennant’s. In a bizarre inversion of Hamlet – which was very much an ensemble triumph, in spite of the hype – Love’s Labour’s Lost becomes an exhibition of Tennant’s supreme comedy and skilful command of the stage.
It may not have the pulling power of his Hamlet, but it’s a production well worth a viewing.
HAMLET
August 5, 2008
Royal Shakespeare Company, The Courtyard Theatre, Stratford, until November 15, 2008.
THERE'S been a huge debate in certain circles about the merits of allowing an actor with TV celebrity status to play Shakespeare's greatest role with the country's leading Shakespearean company.
Forget all that nonsense. Not only is David Tennant an actor with a considerable classical track record and some major roles behind him, the fact is that this magnificent modern-dress production is so much more than a vehicle for his talents.
But let's deal with the title role first. Tennant gives us a thoroughly thought-out Hamlet with some superb nuances and flashes of brilliance about his feigned madness. Never descending into tricksiness, there's a brave honesty and openness about the performance that singles him out as one of the greats of his generation, with every word crystal clear and every subtlety explored.
While there's the odd inevitable hint of the Time Lord – the baseball trainers and occasional pained stare are straight from Gallifrey – this landmark Hamlet is never anything less than a truly great Dane.
But there's more. Lots more.
The entire, stunningly presented production, designed by Robert Jones, is the ultimate responsibility of director Gregory Doran, who is quietly but quickly becoming the RSC's greatest asset. On the heels of a magical Midsummer Night's Dream, he conjures up a believable, majestic Danish court and makes it work triumphantly in his modern staging – no mean feat with this obstinately awkward play.
There are peerless performances too from the utterly reliable Patrick Stewart and Penny Downie as Claudius and Gertrude, while Oliver Ford Davies and John Woodvine are reassuringly delightful as Polonius and the Player King. Elsewhere, there is strong acting support throughout the company and some evocative musical underscoring by composer Paul Englishby.
All the talk may be of Dr Who, but in a production that borders on a masterpiece, there's plenty more meat to get your teeth into.
For Stratford reviews from 2016, please click here
For Stratford reviews from 2015, please click here
For Stratford reviews from 2014, please click here
For Stratford reviews from 2013, please click here
For Stratford reviews from 2012, please click here
For Stratford reviews from 2011, please click here
For Stratford reviews from 2010, please click here
For Stratford reviews from 2009, please click here
October 8, 2008
Royal Shakespeare Company, Courtyard Theatre, Stratford, until November 15, 2008.
ALL the fuss at Stratford this season has been about David Tennant’s Hamlet. But there’s another production in which the current Time Lord is making an appearance, and it couldn’t be more different.
Love’s Labour’s Lost is one of the less-performed of the Shakespeare canon, and the reason is generally considered to be that it is wordy, heavily dependent on Elizabethan gags that don’t easily translate, and actually not all that funny.
Gregory Doran’s beautiful new production for the RSC makes serious inroads into many of these accusations and, if not wholly successful, has a damned good stab at making it a worthwhile exercise.
As with Doran’s other shows for the company this year – the Dream and Hamlet – it looks fabulous, with elegant lighting by Tim Mitchell and a set by Francis O’Connor that is dominated by an extraordinary tree.
It is also complemented by a wonderful score from Paul Englishby, full of subtlety and playfulness and a delight to sit back and enjoy.
Among the performers, there are some issues with audibility, although most of the ensemble manage to derive a degree of sense and meaning from the sometimes obscure wordplay.
For an actor, having a genuine star talent like David Tennant lead the company must be something of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, there’s the joy of watching him work and the acclaim by association his performances seem to bring. On the other, everybody else is inevitably in his shadow to some degree.
So although the part of Berowne is just one of eight young people working through their complicated oaths and emotions, the production is unquestionably Tennant’s. In a bizarre inversion of Hamlet – which was very much an ensemble triumph, in spite of the hype – Love’s Labour’s Lost becomes an exhibition of Tennant’s supreme comedy and skilful command of the stage.
It may not have the pulling power of his Hamlet, but it’s a production well worth a viewing.
HAMLET
August 5, 2008
Royal Shakespeare Company, The Courtyard Theatre, Stratford, until November 15, 2008.
THERE'S been a huge debate in certain circles about the merits of allowing an actor with TV celebrity status to play Shakespeare's greatest role with the country's leading Shakespearean company.
Forget all that nonsense. Not only is David Tennant an actor with a considerable classical track record and some major roles behind him, the fact is that this magnificent modern-dress production is so much more than a vehicle for his talents.
But let's deal with the title role first. Tennant gives us a thoroughly thought-out Hamlet with some superb nuances and flashes of brilliance about his feigned madness. Never descending into tricksiness, there's a brave honesty and openness about the performance that singles him out as one of the greats of his generation, with every word crystal clear and every subtlety explored.
While there's the odd inevitable hint of the Time Lord – the baseball trainers and occasional pained stare are straight from Gallifrey – this landmark Hamlet is never anything less than a truly great Dane.
But there's more. Lots more.
The entire, stunningly presented production, designed by Robert Jones, is the ultimate responsibility of director Gregory Doran, who is quietly but quickly becoming the RSC's greatest asset. On the heels of a magical Midsummer Night's Dream, he conjures up a believable, majestic Danish court and makes it work triumphantly in his modern staging – no mean feat with this obstinately awkward play.
There are peerless performances too from the utterly reliable Patrick Stewart and Penny Downie as Claudius and Gertrude, while Oliver Ford Davies and John Woodvine are reassuringly delightful as Polonius and the Player King. Elsewhere, there is strong acting support throughout the company and some evocative musical underscoring by composer Paul Englishby.
All the talk may be of Dr Who, but in a production that borders on a masterpiece, there's plenty more meat to get your teeth into.
For Stratford reviews from 2016, please click here
For Stratford reviews from 2015, please click here
For Stratford reviews from 2014, please click here
For Stratford reviews from 2013, please click here
For Stratford reviews from 2012, please click here
For Stratford reviews from 2011, please click here
For Stratford reviews from 2010, please click here
For Stratford reviews from 2009, please click here
