Stratford Beacon Herald, August 22, 2003
Festival succeeds with youthful, merry Love’s Labour’s Lost
By: Sharon Malvern
The opening performance of Love’s Labour’s Lost Wednesday was a merry mix of youthful love, witty language and infectious laughter.
The packed house forgot power blackouts and conservation efforts as they revelled in the antic delights of one of Shakespeare’s most interesting comedies.
Led by the King of Navarre, three courtiers vow to devote themselves to the pursuit of knowledge for three years, during which time they will deprive themselves of the pleasures of ample food, and sleep, and - most significantly - the company of women. Their idealistic plan is immediately put to the test when the Princess of France, accompanied by three of her ladies in waiting - Katharine, Maria, and Rosaline - arrives to settle her father’s debt to the King.
All four men - the King, Dumain, Longaville, and Berowne - fall in love with the attractive French visitors, breaking their oaths as each secretly woos his chosen lady with passionate epistles. This plot is complicated by the eccentric Spanish nobleman, Don Armado, who has fallen for the buxom charms of a country wench, Jacquenetta, and by Jacquenetta’s lover, Costard who mixes up the love letters with hilarious results.
The comic revelations eventually lead to a group attempt at courtship when the men disguise themselves as Muscovites to present a "Russian entertainment," and the ladies respond with a trick of their own.
The pedantic schoolmaster, Holofernes, and the curate, Nathaniel, add to the fun in their send-up of academic pretension.
Another amusing entertainment, "the masque of nine Worthies," is interrupted by the arrival of a messenger who brings the sad news that the French King is dead.
Shakespearean comedies usually end with at least one wedding, but in this case, "Jack hath not Jill." Instead, the Princess, accompanied by her ladies, will return to France to mourn, while the men are charged to keep their vows for a year, "remote from all the pleasures of the world." This lady has no intention of making "a world-without-end bargain" without testing the faith of her wooer. After all, the men quickly perjured their original oaths to study. But she holds out the promise of future love.
The performance was an entertaining combination of youthful high spirits, "mocks," verbal sparring, and a parody of the conventions of romantic love, punctuated with laughter by both players and playgoers.
The wit and wordplay of a comedy more than four hundred years old doesn’t always make sense to a contemporary audience.
But in this case, the clear diction, impeccable timing and unmistakable body language of certain actors got the meanings across. Graham Abbey as Berowne deserves special mention for his comedic talent, as does the irrepressible Jonathan Goad in his role as the clown Costard.
Brian Bedford departed from his suave charm in Present Laughter to play the "fantastical" Don Armada. His bantering with Moth (Jacob James) is a classic piece of Shakespeare’s delight in language, superbly delivered. And Mr. James himself gave a strong performance in singing as well as acting.
Brian Tree (Holofernes) and Barry MacGregor (Nathaniel) played off each other in a series of witty exchanges. These Stratford veterans, along with James Blendick as Boyet, skillfully anchored a mostly youthful cast, 10 of whom were recent students of the Stratford Festival Conservatory for Classical Theatre Training.
Graduates Michelle Giroux as Rosaline and Dana Green as the Princess of France showed that their training has paid off.
Director Antoni Cimolino superbly mined the rich vein of comedy in Love’s Labour’s Lost, but also made the point that words can be a veneer, used to obscure as well as communicate. He also made the text come alive: the age-old story of young people discovering themselves as well as the opposite sex and the world around them.
Designer Santo Loquasto made the costumes illustrate the contrast between the rustic world of the boys of Navarre and the sophisticated ladies of the French court. The natural attire of Costard and Jacquenetta show their free spirits and lack of artifice.
The pastoral atmosphere of the play is reflected in the lovely green floor of the stage, which resembles an Impressionist painting.
The main prop is a broken-down cart, laden with everything from lanterns and gears to what looked like a stuffed iguana. It served as a stage, a trysting place and a great hideout for an eavesdropper.
This late opener on the Festival stage runs in repertory until Nov. 2. It’s a pity more people won’t have the opportunity to see it.