Writer: William Shakespeare
Director: Joanna Bowman
What a glorious show! Energetic, exuberant, joyful, full of music and dance – and with a dog! The smile will never leave your face from start to finish.
The Two Gentlemen of Verona is often sniffed at as being an early play of Shakespeare’s. A relatively lightweight comedy where he tries out a number of devices that he employs – sometimes to greater effect it’s true – in his later plays. But this shortened version – just 90 minutes with no interval – is an absolute gem. You are swept along with the youthful excitement and lovestruck devotion of the four lovers at the centre of the play. Although the programme talks about forgiveness being the core of the play, love looks a lot more central to me. Two Gentlemen has the smallest cast of Shakespeare’s plays, and it’s the only one with a named dog – Crab – played by a very cute lurcher called Lossi, who has an amazing habit of yawning or scratching at precisely the right time to extract maximum laughs!
The pre-show music is a medley of popular hits on the theme of love, which sets the tone nicely. And a neon sign saying ‘Love is Blind’ lights up periodically across a gantry above the stage.
Valentine and Proteus are the two young gentlemen of Verona. Valentine is sent by his family to Milan to gain experience while his best friend, Proteus, stays behind. He, however, is then sent to Milan too, professing undying love to his young lady, Julia, and exchanging rings with her. Once in Milan, however, both young men fall for Sylvia, who only has time for Valentine. Chaos, subterfuge and betrayal follow, but there’s a happy ending, so your positivity will persist throughout the show.
The intimacy of The Other Place is perfect for this production – its personality would be lost in a bigger auditorium. The setting is anonymously modern on a stage in the round, which is used to tremendous effect. The modern setting doesn’t jar with Shakespeare’s language at all – it works perfectly. As do the compositions and musical arrangements of John Patrick Elliott – from the starting mash-up of love songs sung and played by the actors, to the arrangement of Shakespeare’s Who Is Sylvia. The drumming and stomping of the outlaws as they first appear and hijack Valentine is also a highlight.
The cast – many of them in their debut RSC production – is excellent to an actor – and dog! But special mention must go to the two servants, Stu McLoughlin as Launce (reminiscent of Pearce Quigley), and Tom Babbage as Speed. McLoughlin is hilarious throughout, and he manages to act his way well through the scenes with Lossi the dog, who of course, steals the show! Babbage is excellently spunky as Speed and obnoxious as Thurio, one of Sylvia’s suitors.
Two specific scenes stand out – the scene between Launce and Babbage where they discuss the many ‘qualities’ of Launce’s love, the milkmaid; and the glorious soliloquy of Launce as he describes the naughtiness of Crab the dog, who never sheds a tear even when everyone else is upset. So funny. And also a special mention to the backstage crew who manage the numerous off-stage quick costume and scene changes with great efficiency.
This is a show not to be missed, just as suitable for those new to Shakespeare as it is for diehard fans.
Runs until 31 August 2025
