“Shall I compare thee to a sum…sum…sum…something!” is not the typical opening line you’d expect to hear in a play with Shakespeare in its title, particularly if you know how the line should go. But every great writer gets writer’s block right? Even the bard. The play opens as Shakespeare, played by the thoroughly charming Pierro Niel-Mee, is sat centre stage at his desk, quill in hand, struggling to find the opening lines to a new play he is set to have staged Romeo and Ethel the Pirate’s daughter.
He’s under a lot of pressure to create his next best hit which isn’t surprising considering he is in the midst of a London plague, with playhouses closing and being in in the shadow of his best mate, Kit Marlowe’s (played by Edmund Kingsley), success.
But like every great romantic tragedy of Shakespeare’s he finds his muse in a love interest, Viola de Lesseps, a merchant’s daughter who is very much out of Shakespeare’s league (although it would seem.)
He eventually finds the ensuing lines as he serenades Viola, played captivatingly by the gorgeous Imogen Daines, true to the Romeo and Juliet he ends up writing, as she stands on her balcony and him below. But the lines aren’t Shakespeare’s own in this play. The playful rivalry is done so decadently in this scene as Kit drip feeds Shakespeare his own text presenting the amusing assumption to the audience that the playwright wasn’t completely responsible for his own works. It’s done laughably and well!
But even if his words weren’t 100% his own, the chemistry and romance felt between Daines and Niel-Mee is. With just the right amount of comedy and tenderness felt between the two.
The extensive list of characters are extremely well cast – it’s as thought the parts were written for each. Geraldine Alexander does an incredible job of playing both Viola’s nurse and Queen Elizabeth who provides suitable entertainment in between the more serious scenes which often come from the stern words of Lord Wessex played by the instantly recognisable TV soap villain Bill Ward who brings themes of rape, misogyny and murder.
Rowan Polonski’s Ned Allen brings the laughter to the stalls with a show-stopping performance as one of the “Strange Men” – a real person and actor who toured in the provinces during the bleak theatrical scene at the time of Shakespeare’s writing. His camp, yet charming style brings warmth and comedy to the rehearsal scenes which really bring to life some of the realism which must have been present in the playhouses at the time. His outfit is flamboyant as are his gesticulations – it’s no wonder he ends up being cast as Mercutio in the final scenes of this play.
Of particular note, and something which drew my attention to the play more than anything else was the set design. An understated revolving wooden set, which having seen various stages at Shakespeare’s own globe seemed slightly reminiscent of it’s details. It brings with it plenty of opportunity to signal a divide between rich and poor, front of stage and backstage, rehearsals and reality. Very clever and very engaging.
For more information about upcoming shows at Nottingham Theatre Royal please visit www.trch.co.uk
Review by Nadya Jaworksyi
