Review: 2008 Theatre Highlight - Loves' Labours Lost

The theatre highlight of my year didn't arrive until October, but it was well worth waiting for.

Being someone that despises with a passion the current vogue for celebrities in the lead roles of theatre as a bums-on-seats tactic, you may be surprised to hear I was actually rather looking forward to seeing David Tennant (of Doctor Who fame) starring in this production as Berowne.

Possibly this is because Loves' Labours Lost is one of the only Shakespeare plays that they didn't teach me at school, so I presumed I would have no idea if he murdered the role or not.

There was certainly a tangible atmosphere when I arrived at the Courtyard Theatre for the opening night of this production.

Brecht aside, I've never been to a show where the performance starts so literally the moment you enter the auditorium.

The setting is so simplistic and yet knocks your socks off instantly - Francis O'Connor's magnificent and magical tree dominates the stage.

With leaves of delicately coloured glass that literally mesmerise us, I felt I could have stared at the hypnotic reflections all evening.

As if this masterpiece is not enough, however, the audience was then indulged with director Gregory Doran's suspense-building, illusion-breaking decision to have the three noble companions to the King of Navarre, who open the play, saunter on stage and take their places around the tree as the audience likewise took their own seats.

Rather amusingly, David Tennant's Berowne is tactically chosen as last to appear of the three, and this elicited an audible gasp from the audience of all ages and sensibilities.

Childish star-struck aspect aside, however, once the show begins we realised this was no celebrity gimmick - the whole cast are united and serious about making one of Shakespeare's least memorable comedies truly unforgettable

Essentially, the play is about the King of Navarre and his three companions taking an oath to dedicate themselves to study and forgo all female contact for three years, before immediately all falling in love respectively with a visiting Princess and her ladies in waiting.

They try to hide their passions from each other, and hilarity ensues.

Shakespeare comedies are renowned for the nobility leaving the Court and entering into a magical 'other' world, however Loves Labours Lost is unique as the noblemen do not leave their courtly setting - the magic is created within their world through witty banter and furiously eloquent games of linguistics.

Doran truly brings the text to life, luring out moments of brilliant original comedy in a theatre that visually shares some similarities with the original Globe.

As per usual in my experience of his work at the RSC, Doran's innuendo-filled humour verges on the vulgar (Riann Steele's dairy maid pumping the butter churn is not for the faint hearted) and yet the entire audience - from teenage girl to austere pensioner - laugh heartily (and in some cases splutter into hysterics) in all the right places, proving that Doran, and indeed Shakespeare, knew exactly where our funny bones truly lie.

I could wax lyrical about the comedic talents of the entire cast - they all have their part to play in the laughs - but I must single out two of the actors that honestly need do no more than walk on stage to have us in stitches. 12»