Shakespeare in Love, Noel Coward Theatre directed by Declan Donnellan

Shakespeare in Love adapted by Lee Hall and directed by Declan Donnellan from the film, featuring Gweneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes, has come home. Will needs inspiration. In walks Thomas Kent, aka Viola De Lesseps, who is moved by his plays and poetry; the scene is set. Romeo & Juliet, rough-hewn from Romeo & Ethelred the Pirate, takes shape as the two fall in love, defy convention, and with a little help from Kit Marlow and a motley crew of rufflers, produce the greatest love story ever told. Any production about theatre is a sure-fire hit, even if transported to 1593. Add in a wager, mix with real people Richard Burbage, Philip Henslowe, Kit Marlow, the goulish John Webster and Gloriana herself, pepper with lines from Shakespeare’s other plays and you have a hit on your hands. The creatives Declan Donnellan, designer Nick Omerod and composer Paddy Cuneen deliver up a real treat; while the acting ensemble led by Tom Bateman as Will and Lucy Briggs-Owen as Viola is first-rate. The gags are there, the tone finely balanced, with some truly stunning singing and musicianship....