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But I will say that despite my less than enthusiastic view of the genre, I was completely won over by this play.January 1999, at the Sony Harvard Square in Cambridge, MA So, the ultimate question, was I converted a period drama fanatic? My flatmate will be dismayed to know that I was not, despite her best efforts. The live instrumentalists on stage were either too loud at the wrong moment, or the voices and instruments were flat, which was really off-putting to anyone with a musical ear.ĭespite my less than enthusiastic view of the genre, I was completely won over by this play. My main issue was the live background music – a great idea from director Declan Donnellan with some really authentic Renaissance pieces by Paddy Cunneen, it just didn’t hit the mark.
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Of course no play is perfect and this one had some small flaws. Acting opposite Briggs-Owen was a tough standard to meet though and he did improve throughout the show. These scenes were Bateman’s saving grace in an otherwise slightly style over substance performance. In that moment I completely forgot that I wasn’t watching the play itself, they slipped into character so easily. Now I (and the majority of the audience I imagine) have seen Romeo & Juliet performed badly a lot, but Briggs-Owen and Bateman delivered the 2 most famous scenes of the play (the balcony scene and the death scene) with maturity, professionalism and above all an incredible connection. The chemistry between Briggs-Owen and Will (Tom Bateman) was really electric, especially in the second half when the audience is treated to a few choice scenes of Romeo & Juliet in its première performance. One minute she was running on stage as an upper class socialite and then in the next she appeared disguised as an aspiring male actor, moustache and all. Briggs-Owen delivers a funny yet emotional performance, not easy to do with the number of quick changes she had to perfect. The other performance of note amongst these accomplished actors was the heroine Viola De Lesseps (Lucy Briggs-Owen). I particularly enjoyed the Oakes’ range of facial expressions – the ‘I-told-you-so’ and ‘That was my idea!’ reactions to some of Will’s inadequacies had the audience laughing without fail. Oakes played this character with a dry wit it was easy to imagine the mixture of frustration and admiration that Marlowe would have felt for the main protagonist. My favourite performance of the evening was Marlowe (David Oakes), the tag-along (more intelligent) friend that Will (Tom Bateman) depends upon when caught in sticky situations. Of course, no set (however carefully crafted) can make a play, only the actors can do that. It reminded me of an equivalent moment in Jersey Boys and I liked it then as well! However, despite the simplistic set, there was great attention to detail in decorating the scene with a few well-chosen props – water sloshing in a bucket is a simple concept but is all that is needed to evoke the sounds of the Thames during a boat crossing. I particularly enjoyed the latter transformation – the backdrop of the set moved silently upstage so that the audience could experience the atmosphere from both sides of the curtain. The understated wooden architecture was easily transformed into the necessary locations for the play, from bedroom to balcony and from theatre stage to behind the scenes. On seeing the set as we walked in, I was struck by the simplicity of Nick Ormerod’s design, reminiscent of traditional Elizabethan style. Romance and heartbreak lead Will to finally complete his most famous tragedy of all, Romeo and Juliet.īriggs-Owen and Bateman delivered the 2 most famous scenes of the play with maturity, professionalism and above all an incredible connection. A natural talent, Will goes to her family house personally to offer her a leading role and finds not the boy Kent but the inspiring muse Viola herself. Desperate to prove that a woman can be an actor, Viola disguises herself as a boy (Thomas Kent) and auditions for Will’s latest (still to be written) production. Luckily, his latest work is viewed by Queen Elizabeth I and her entourage, including debutante Viola de Lesseps. Despite some creative words of wisdom from close friend and fellow playwright Christopher Marlowe, without a muse to inspire him Will is under pressure from two quarreling theatre managers to deliver the goods quickly. In the middle of a creative rut, Will (as he is affectionately known) is stuck for ideas to complete his latest work. Reservations +44 (0)20 7492 0813 Mon-Fri:8am-8pm, Sat-Sun:9am-7pmĪdapted from Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard’s Oscar winning film of the same name, Shakespeare In Love paints a different image of the great playwright himself.