Believed to have been written in the mid-1590s, Love’s Labour’s Lost is one of Shakespeare’s earliest comedies. However, as the programme notes of director Owen Thomas James point out, some of its jokes and puns have become so obscure as to be beyond the comprehension of modern audiences. Unusually for a musical adaptation of a Shakespearean play, much of the sonnets and iambic pentameter is retained but through the medium of a modern musical score. To an extent, however, the pedigree of the source material and its treatment are of less relevance to a contemporary audience than the extent to which it ticks all the boxes for a modern musical comedy – and it does!
As with the original, the plot is of course outrageously convoluted, involving as it does an unlikely oath of abstinence from pleasures, including the society of women, on the part of the King of Navarre and his three friends. This is complicated by the unexpected arrival of the Princess of France and her ladies, the attraction of the outlandish Don Armado for barmaid Jaquenetta, disguises and misdirected letters.
Every effort to ease potential audience confusion including subtle colouring of costumes through which the four main male and female presenting characters were mirrored in shades. The four ladies swapping identities were helpfully provided with names and photos on T shirts. The names of intended recipients were writ large on the swapped envelopes.
Well-designed costumes by Annie Houseago were indeed a feature of the whole production – not least in Dumaine’s outrageous Elizabethan hat and costume for his poem to Katherine and Longaville’s over the top gold outfit (with accompanying dancers) for the sonnet pastiche of A Chorus Line.
A terrific party atmosphere was established by the entire company on entry to the auditorium with an alumni reunion set in an Aya Napa type bar – with multiple stories, encounters and drinking games in progress. This was aided in no small way by well-judged lighting design by Ruth Luckins, which rang some very complex changes throughout but always enhancing mood and reinforcing location. Set design by Mickey Dimitrova, realised by Stuart Massey, placed a plunge pool/ jacuzzi stage left from which Don Armado made a spectacular initial entrance, a bar of stage right and the King’s lodgings upstage, including a balcony to which the men retreated on occasion. All of this left plenty of space for full company numbers while also suggesting the level of intimacy required for some scenes.
An intriguing instrumental combination of keyboards, guitars, bass drums and cello gave flexibility in the support provided by musical director Maria Hallows, with a score which drew on a variety of musical styles. Vocal performances by this ensemble cast were of the highest quality in solo, small group and full company numbers. Sound design by Adam Coppard and Adam Lockett brought crisp realisation to the instrumental support, although there were occasions when this was at the expense of lyric audibility. Given that much of the original Shakespearean language was retained in dialogue and song, it is essential that the audience can hear every single word – particularly at the beginning when the narrative is being established.
Direction by Owen Thomas James was imaginative and pacy, extracting all the comic possibilities from its farcical premise but with a well-judged balance of tone with the more contemplative elements. Characters were well drawn, with believable relationships established between them all. Singling out individual performances would be invidious. This was a cracking company which combined to present a thoroughly enjoyable evening’s entertainment. Highly recommended.
Review by Robin Kelly
If you like this review you might also like my review of Brighton Beach Memoirs by Sedos, A Chorus Line by Cygnet Players and The Curious Incident of the Dog In the Nightime by Sedos.