‘performances were strong and all the more impressive given the duality of the roles being undertaken’
Shake-Scene Shakespeare brings its cue-based performance approach to Shakespeare North Playhouse, in a distinct nod to how the original players played it, with this adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s early comedies.
Ferdinand (Simon Balcon), King of Navarre, and his lords, Berowne (Jennifer Jordan) and Dumaine (Valentina Vinci), commit to studying and fasting for three years, all the while eschewing female company, so it’s of little surprise when Constable Dull (Ellie Zeegen) brings in Costard (Dewi Hughes) for having broken these rules.
Their best laid plans, however, are thrown up in the air when the Princess of France (Larissa Oates) arrives with her ladies in waiting, Katherine (Zeegen) and Rosaline (Eugenia Low), with chaperone Boyet (Hughes) determined to ensure everything stays in its rightful place.
Meanwhile, comical Spanish knight, Don Armado (Low), confides in his page, Moth (Vinci), that he has fallen for a dairymaid, Jacquenetta (Oates). With pedants Holofernes (Jordan), a schoolmaster, and Nathaniel (Balcon), a curate, looking on, the noble men entrust delivery of their love notes and tokens to Costard: what could possibly go wrong?
Shake-Scene Shakespeare’s unique approach in working from original Renaissance-style cue-based texts is refreshing and challenging in equal measure: with the actors never having rehearsed together before first performance, there is an attendant Book Holder (Dr Lizzie Hughes) to keep things on track. There’s certainly nowhere to hide without staging or set, and only some basic costuming to delineate between characters with rapid adjustments to enable cast to segue between roles.
With experience and expectation derived from other more traditional productions, it was a little difficult to get into initially as the cast appeared in modern day dress with little embellishment to determine who was who, although as the action unfolded and characterisation developed along with the costume, this became easier to follow and it was certainly well worth sticking with.
There was good use of the available ‘off-stage’ space for quick changes, and I enjoyed the cast appearing through the audience. More challenging was the lack of consistency in accents between those of the differing realms of France and Spain with some Estuary English and Received Pronunciation thrown in for good measure.
Similarly, whilst appreciating the spontaneity of a cue-based approach, there were far too many line calls, especially in the second half, and a corresponding drop off in vocals from some of the cast, which is a shame because, overall, performances were strong and all the more impressive given the duality of the roles being undertaken.
L Hughes provided a witty prologue that gave context to the production and its styling, before Balcon, Jordan, and Vinci captured the underlying humour in their wooing of the French court, whilst Oates, Low, and Zeegen were equally adept in their amusing outwitting of them. I especially enjoyed Zeegen’s noir take on the policeman, whilst D Hughes impressed throughout with his clever comic portrayals of the contrasting characters of Costard and Boyet.
Shake-Scene Shakespeare are UK specialists in cue-based theatre, who have been building a reputation for unique theatre performance and exciting workshops since 2017.
Love’s Labour’s Lost is part of a Summer of Love Double Bill with Much Ado About Nothing. For further information on the company and upcoming performances please visit https://www.shake-sceneshakespeare.co.uk/
Review Date: 6th August 2026
Star Rating: THREE