Love's Labour's Won - or - Much Ado About Nothing

by William Shakespeare

seen at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, 5 March 2015

This production, provocatively retitled 'Love's Labour's Won' to underscore its relation t 'Love's Labour's Lost', is directed by Christpoher Luscombe with Edward Bennett as Benedick and Michelle Terry as Beatrice. It is set just after the First World War ostensibly in Charlecote Park, again to draw parallels to the earlier play.

The same production team is responsible for both plays; at the opening of this one there are hospital beds and nurses, but this soon gives way to the lighter-hearted mood of relief that ushered in the Twenties. Once again Nigel Hess's music evokes the era, with a concluding ragtime-like dance number.

Though the two romantic leads in each play are taken by the same actors, other characters are differently disposed - for example, Sam Alexander plays the King of Navarre in 'Lost', but Don John (the villain of the piece) in 'Won'. To look at things the other way, the clergymen in the two plays are separately cast: Sir Nathaniel in 'Lost' is played by Thomas Wheatley (Antonio in 'Won')  while Friar Francis in 'Won' is played by Jamie Newall (Boyet in 'Lost') - this to underline the fact that the two characters are utterly unlike, and have quite different dramatic functions, in the two plays.

All in all the cross-currents and correspondences are interesting and lend an enjoyable sense of immersion in a long experience if both plays are seen closely together. But of course each must really stand on its own, and this they do.

This play is famous for the characters of Beatrice and Benedick, whose initial cynicism gives way to attraction and love through the machinations of their friends, and whose regard for one another survives the strain placed on it by the demands of loyalty and honour evoked by the Claudio/Hero sub-plot. Once more, Michelle Terry and Edward Bennett portrayed this witty and belatedly wise pair with delightful high spirits and infectious energy. To some extent Michelle Terry's style of delivery suits the more experienced tone of Beatrice's scorn in 'Won' better than Rosalind's rhetorical flourishes in 'Lost', but Edward Bennett shines as both Berowne ('Lost') and Benedick ('Won').

Claudio (Tunji Kasim) can be seen as either lovesick or just plain callow, while Hero (Flora Spencer-Longhurst) is hardly a character at all. In this production Claudio's effusions are taken fairly seriously, and his readiness to take offence at the Prince's wooing (even though he has agreed to it) and later to discredit Hero publicly are taken as the impetuosity of youth rather than merely unpleasant shallowness. Interestingly Benedick's challenge to him late in the play, which could be delivered with scornful contempt, is here spoken with less emphasis, Benedick perhaps masking his conflict of loyalty under an even tone, rather than seeking to put his erstwhile friend down. It is left to Leonato (David Horovitch) to deliver the words of crushing contempt to both Claudio and the Prince (John Hodgkinson) when Don John's villainy is revealed - though even here we as the audience must be aware that this is role-playing to an extent, since we know with Leonato that his daughter has not in fact died.

The watchmen, led by Dogberry (Nick Haverson), provide the broadest comedy. Dogberry's fantastical confusions of words are complicated further here by a series of involuntary tics and spasms which are very broad-brushed, but perhaps need to be so in order to work in the large space of the auditorium. The wordplay is increasingly difficult to bring off as the style is not so fashionable these days (and some of the confused words may be passing from common understanding in any case) but the interrogation scene was a masterpiece of visual comedy as the entire watch, the sexton and the two prisoners were confined in a ludicrously cluttered office-cum-workshop from which it was almost impossible to find an exit.

I saw 'Love's Labour's Lost' in mid-February via live screening (see the earlier post) but went to see it again in the theatre on 6 March, that is, the day following this performance of 'Love's Labour's Won'. I thoroughly enjoyed both productions, but I think that on balance I found 'Love's Labour's Lost' more satisfying. It was certainly delightful to see it as a member of the audience able to direct my attention where I wished rather than where the camera was placed.