Love in Shakespeare review St George's Green Jesmond July 28th 2010

Love in Shakespeare

review

St George's Green Jesmond

July 28th 2010

The Shakespeare Arms is a funny old place.

Bit of misery is the landlord, not much going for him, a pub full of drink, but not many customers...maybe the trade isn't for him anymore!!!???

His wife is a cheery soul, although hampered by her husbands lack of love and general grumpiness she carries on tending the bar and being the 'face' of the pub.
Times are hard and the pub needs a new pool table, so a fundraising 'Anything Goes Fun Talent night' is set up.
The competitors are made up from various ages and creeds of the pubs' clientele and on paper it looks like a poor night's worth of entertainment is on the cards.

In steps Chris, who is reeling from various relationship problems, he is a upper crust gentleman who loves the work of The Bard, and tells his story to the manageress-through Shakespeare's words. The 'entertainment' gets underway and it is no wonder why Vince is so miserable in the pub trade, his customers bring their own beer/wine to the venue (this is Heartbreak Production's great interaction with the audience) and the scenes in front of him with the various stand up, poetry and mime bringing him to curse and fall deeper into the bottle. Chris, with a briefcase of magic (Heartbreak seem to bring a lot of magic to the stage!!!) and intrigue, plays and whispers to the performers and with a Shakespearean prop and a snap of his fingers propel the amateur acts into works of The Bards art, mirroring Chris's struggle with his love life.

Heartbreak Productions have again brought the theatre to the masses with a superb open venue play that brings Shakespeare to the level of the novice. I had read and took part in Shakespeare plays when very young and it didn't seem to make any sense at all to me, if Heartbreak had of been around then-I would have loved to have been coaxed into understanding more.

They are very good at bringing a brilliant contemporary vision to entertain and thrill!!!

In what is a lovely setting for this type of Play, St George's Green in Jesmond shone with delight and every breeze that whispered around the trees echoed The Bards words.

Director (and Executive Director for H.P.) Maddy Kerr has gathered a spiffing bunch of actors to the table, who entertain like their lives depend on it, she must love the reaction of the audience when it is all wrapped up, the crowd in Jesmond just loved the performance, and must be really looking forward to seeing Heartbreaks next production of Oscar Wilde's 'An Ideal Husband' at the same venue.

If there hadn't already been a book wrote by John Doyle, then it wouldn't surprise me if Heartbreak Productions had a hand in the making of 'Shakespeare for Dummies'...they make it so effortless.

Love in Shakespeare is performing all over the country but only in Jesmond until July 31st.

Spike