Review: SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE at Gryphon Theatre

A wonderful show to kick off the year for Wellington Rep hitting just the right notes.

Shakespeare in Love is a full-length play adapted from the Academy Award-winning movie, reimagining William Shakespeare's creative process as he writes "Romeo and Juliet". The play is a dramatic comedy that explores themes of love, inspiration, and the challenges of artistic creation. It features a mix of historical and fictional characters, including a young Shakespeare who wrestles with writer's block and finds inspiration in a muse. 

One of the great things about the Gryphon Theatre is the versititily of the space and the way it can be configured.  As we entered the space, we were met with seating around three sides, almost creating the theatre in the round that Shakespeare's Globe theatre is famous for.

The set was very simple with the centre of the stage set with only a table and chair and a curtained entrance in the centre at the rear.

There was a large cast of 27 (including Equinox playing spot the dog, that stole the scene that they were in), who were used and moved well, so the stage never seemed cluttered.

Christopher Horne as William Shakespeare and Yasmine Alani as his muse/love interest Viola De Lesseps were both particularly strong in their roles and it was wonderful to hear excellent diction from both, so dialogue was crisp and clear. I also enjoyed the performance of Kevin Hastings as Lord Wessex, who is to wed Viola, much to her distain. He played the role with just the right amount of malice.  Other performances that stood out for me were that of James Kiesel as Christoper Marlowe who helps Shakespeare to find the right words when suffering a writing block and in a Cyrano De Bergerac like moment between the two leads and Rio Futschek Ryan as Henslowe, a lovable rogue in trouble with moneylenders.

Special mention must be made of the costumes (Anne de Geus assisted by Carol Walter), which for the most part were excellent and fit the period perfectly. The dressers will have had their work cut out for them, with a number of changes throughout the production.

Lighting (Devon Heaphy) was simple and unobtrusive, fitting for this type of production.

There was a lot to like in this production with strong performances and an engaging story, well directed by Ewen Coleman who managed a large cast with apparent ease.

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