presented by Stamford Shoestring Theatre
Stamford Shoestring Theatre presents one of Shakespeare’s most beguiling comedies. Full of drive and energy, Love’s Labour’s Lost warns of the dangers of suppressing one’s natural instincts.
The King of Navarre and three companions swear an oath to study and to create ‘a little academe’ which will be the ‘wonder of the world’. They must go into retreat for three years and give up worldly pleasures - including women.
When a Princess arrives with her ladies-in-waiting, the whole scheme is placed in jeopardy. Human nature is soon at war with high-minded ideals.
The intrigues of the court are intermingled with the antics of some memorable characters, including a polished courtier, a pompous schoolmaster, a timid curate, a dim-witted constable and two sex-crazed villagers – not forgetting a fantastical Spaniard and his irreverent page.
The stage is set for comedy and a party-atmosphere prevails until the reality of existence and its transitory nature reminds us that nothing lasts forever. The story has one of the most beautiful endings in all Shakespeare.
Hailed by former Guardian drama critic Michael Billington as one of the greatest plays ever written, Love’s Labour’s Lost is Shakespeare at his most lyrical and shows the full flower of his genius for the first time.
Review by Jane Pugh
When Shakespeare explores love and lust, he favours an outdoor setting and in this case, it's rural northern Spain simply depicted with a statue of Cupid and ivy draped over the Minack's columns and walls. Despite the threatening black clouds, I was transported.
This is a lovely play about dreams versus reality, the rational versus the fantasy, full of charm, wit and dexterous word play. Smarty-pants King Ferdinand and his buddies, Berowne, Dumaine and Longaville promise to devote the next three years to their studies and foreswear all temptations, chiefly women. Who should arrive but the bright and beautiful Princess of France and her besties, Katharine, Maria and Rosaline. Oh dear, the lads aren't nearly as committed to their studies as they fall hopelessly in love and lust.
Meanwhile, the rural setting suggests a third way, not the cerebral, not the ethereal, but the ballsy, busty laws of nature in the shape of colourful rustics, Costard and Jaquenetta, who extoll a 'If it feels good, do it' approach to life and love. As the comedy-drama cum verbal wrestling match between heady love and scholarly endeavour unfolds so the mischief gathers apace. Love letters are delivered to the wrong person, overtures are rejected and a magnificent pageant becomes chaotic piss-up when the women disguise themselves to test the devotion of their suitors and the softy men pretend to be burly Russian bear-hunters to impress their true loves. Phew! Sex Education is tame by comparison! Once again, Shakespeare transcends the centuries with all his charm and wit. Who hasn't acted on impulse and desire at least once during the course of our lives? Or least I hope we all have, as there's nothing more intoxicating than falling in love.
All this is brought to the Minack stage by Lincolnshire based Stamford Shoestring Theatre Company, an amateur group of thespians which first came into existence eighty years ago. Now, that's impressive! Their devotion to the play, to each other and to the craft exudes throughout the performance. This is an amateur production, so some of the actors are much better than others and arguably a professional company would bring more depth to the characters, confidence in the language and a deeper exploration of the themes.
But devotion and commitment go an awful long way which in turn relates to one of the central themes of Love's Labour's Lost, what we hold dear brings meaning to our lives. It really feels like Stamford Shoestring cherish the experience of performing at the Minack and their enthusiasm rubs off. To quote Longaville justifying his love for Maria, 'Vows are but breath, and breath a vapor is. If broken, then, it is no fault of mine. To lose an oath to win a paradise?' I wouldn't go as far to say it was paradise last night but it was special indeed.
