This blog post was written for East Midlands Theatre.
“Love’s Labours Lost” begins a new season of theatre for the RSC, and the first overseen by new artistic directors Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey. One might assume that they would play it safe, and in a sense they have – a comedy that is sure to bring in large crowds, with a well-known name front and centre on the poster. However, “Love’s Labours Lost” is not your standard comedy, and this production is far from your standard Shakespeare fayre.
Set on the private Pacific Island of tech billionaire Ferdinand (Abiola Owokoniran), “Love’s Labours Lost” sees three friends Berowne (Luke Thompson), Longaville (Eric Stroud), and Dumaine (Brandon Bassir) join Ferdinand in an oath to give up the company of women for three years and instead devote themselves to study. The decision is played in the style of a “wellness retreat”, with each of the men handing over their mobile phones and settling down for three years of solitude.
Their plans are interrupted by the arrival of a Princess (Melanie-Joyce Bermudez) and her three ladies (Rosaline played by Ioanna Kimbook, Katherine played by Amy Griffiths, and Maria played by Sarita Gabony). The men immediately fall in love, and set about attempting to break their oath without alerting the others. The four male characters are written very similarly, as are the four female characters, but the actors make each character feel very distinct, and it is immediately obvious which of the men will fall for which of the women thanks to similarities between them.
The music throughout is infused with Hawaiian influence, helping to set a relaxed and laid-back tone which contrasts nicely with the frantic nature of the men’s attempts to seduce. A huge revolving staircase allows for some very funny moments, with Thompson, Owokoniran, Stroud and Bassir chasing yet hiding from each other as they slowly uncover the deception of the other oath-takers. Various settings from across the private island, such as a tennis court, a golf course and a luxury spa, are created with slight lighting changes and simple props. Every scene has been carefully thought out by director Emily Burns, making it feel as though the play was written to be set in such a place.
All the classic elements of a Shakespeare comedy are present here. Letters for loved ones end up in the wrong hands, and the ladies disguise themselves to trick the men, using face masks stolen from the spa! Fans that like to see their Shakespeare performed verbatim may be disappointed here – rather than Shakespeare, the men rely on the words of the Backstreet Boys to woo the ladies, resulting in one of the comedic highlights of the evening.
Further comedic moments come courtesy of Don Armado (Jack Bardoe as the loveable Spanish tennis player) and Costard (Nathan Foad), who lust after resort worker Jaquenetta (Marienella Phillips). A lot of fun is had with Bardoe’s heavily exaggerated Spanish accent, and Foad’s incredible physicality and facial expressions were quick to draw the audience’s attention whenever he was on the stage. The staff put on a play for Ferdinand and his friends, under the direction of Holfernes (Tony Gardner), who enjoyed lots of clever wordplay that could have fallen flat with a 21st century audience, but which Gardner delivered with ease.
The ending of the play should come as no surprise given the title, and the sudden shift in tone is jarring but works well. The auditorium one moment is filled with raucous laughter and then dead silence. The Princess takes focus for the final moments, highlighting the fact that the play is owned by Bermudez and her compatriots – the ladies hold the power throughout, and it is the four of them that lead this tonal shift.
This is a striking production that effortlessly updates Shakespeare’s comedy to the modern day. Moments of silliness and drama coalesce to create a piece that will leave you in fits of laughter, and yet speechless by the end.
Tom Morley, April 2024
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