The Bard is back in Kingston

Love's Labour's Lost, at the Rose; photo credit Nobby Clark

I recently went to see the Rose Theatre's first 'home-grown' production, since their long-awaited opening at the start of the year. Love's Labour's Lost is far from one of Shakespeare's best known works but it's dear to the heart of Director Emeritus, Sir Peter Hall, as it was the first of the Bard's works he directed, at the outset of his career.

Shakespeare had a lot of fun with this work - revelling in wordplay - with many moments of lightness and mirth, in the midst of the more serious message about responsibility and being ready (sufficiently mature) for a relationship. The cast were impressive - the set minimalist (replicating Shakespearean authenticity) - but the fairly complex wordiness of the work requires great concentration from the audience. Unless you're prepared for that, you're unlikely to find it as effortlessly engrossing, as you might anticipate, from the early humour of the piece.

If you're on a budget (who isn't these days?) you can enhance the authenticity of the experience by opting for a pit 'seat', at just £7; all you need to do is arrive in good time and take along a comfortable cushion to sit on. The production runs, at the Rose, until November 15th.

Any Questions...?

Just back from the Rose Theatre where Radio4's Any Questions? was broadcast last night. Having spent many years working on live radio it didn't hold as many surprises for me, as perhaps, for some others in the audience.  There was mainly an older presence, for this BBC programme, that celebrates an amazing 60 years on air, in 2008.

If you read the link above, you'll gather I'm a big fan and supporter of the Rose so I was happy to return there for a rare event and especially pleased to see Sir Peter Hall, Director Emeritus and theatrical hero, on the four-strong panel.  He was the star turn: succinct, entertaining and to-the-point.  

Caroline Spelman, Chair of the Conservative Party, was immensely long-winded and, on most occasions, completely failed to answer the question.  Harriet Harman QC, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, seemed determinedly on-message and constantly conveyed how the party was listening and would take note of public opinion and correct any wrongs.  She totally passed the buck on all the Shakespeare related questions - disappointingly - and surprisingly, for one so well-educated.  Local MP, Vince Cable, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats, was impressive -  we discovered he had been up since 4am but he answered every question without rambling or straying - in an informed, thoughtful and intelligent manner.

If you want to tune-in, the (live) programme is repeated on Saturday (today!) afternoon, at 1.10pm.