First things first: time is running out if you want to see the Shakespeare in Love play at the Noël Coward Theatre in London. The season ends on 18th April 2015 and the show is worth each minute of its excellent staging, production and performances.
The cast lives and breathes as one, moving around the stage swiftly while live music goes on in the balcony overlooking all the action.
Worth mentioning some top performances by the leads Orlando James as Will Shakespeare, Will’s muse Viola De Lesseps played by Eve Ponsonby and the wonderful Suzanne Burden as (a very fiesty) Queen Elizabeth.
There’s also the adorable dog appearing at the most unexpected moments, which is probably getting a dog massage backstage as we speak.
I think the staging makes this play particularly enjoyable, as you get to witness The Globe’s stage and backstage with a few clever moves of the set. It’s high energy entertainment without any stuffiness or “you are not worthy to be watching Shakespeare” airs and graces.
Sure, the Hollywood movie had more superstars than you could shake a stick at, and your brain will tend to dart from the film version to the play in front of your eyes, comparing and contrasting, however film and play are great fun and I certainly enjoyed them both equally.
My tip: have a look on lastminute.com if you can grab some cheap tickets.