Theatre Review
Production: Love's Labour's Lost
By: William Shakespeare
Directed By: Michael Langham (Interim Director: Richard Monette)
Where: Stratford Festival of Canada
Run: May 21^st to October 4^th 2008
Theatre: Tom Patterson Theatre 

Reviewed By: Kindah Mardam Bey (Ontario Correspondent - Canada)

Yes indeed, love's labour was lost on many other reviewers....but not this one. Too true that this season's Love's Labour's Lost has been poorly subjected to some uninformed reviews, but what I saw was a delight to the senses and fool-proof enough to get my five-star rating. 

We step foot into fair Navarre, where a King and his three foolish friends have decided to make an oath to ignore all distractions in exchange for intense study for a three year stint. Distractions like plenty of food, or getting enough sleep seems a detestable way for Berowne to spend his time, but the King and his friends have declared its value, although Berowne really feels the need to test this oath when women are not allowed to be ‘fraternized' with. In male solidarity Berowne concedes to the fine-print and the four men descend upon their studies. Not but a day passes, when the renowned beauty, the Princess of France and her three ladies come to Navarre. The King is quite staunch and makes the Princess and the ladies stay in the field on the royal grounds as opposed to the castle, where the men have sequestered themselves. Alas, the spark of love has hit all the men and women alike, and what with misplaced letters and awkward declarations, a couple of fools and scholars, the light and indulgent comedy has a great underlying theme and an unconventional ending within its ranks.

From the onset, the play is beguiling and interesting. Berowne is immediately cheeky and commanding, which was played incredibly well by Ian Lake. Although his Rosaline is a poor match, played by Dalal Badr, I did find that the strength of Alana Hawley was an equal female counter-part as the Princess, therefore creating a strong balance between the sexes. It is fine for the King and Rosaline to be less enticing, so long as you have Berowne and the Princess acted with stage presence; Hawley and Lake have that in spades.  

Another noteworthy performance was by Brian Tree as Costard, a decidedly comic relief, this Brit plays up the role to Pantomime proportions, which is exactly what the role requires. Last years Atticus Finch (Peter Donaldson) and Scout (Abigail Winter-Culliford) in To Kill A Mockingbird are played again opposite each other as Donaldson is the Spaniard Don Adriano de Armado and Winter-Culliford is his Page named Moth. The distinguished Donaldson offset by the undeniably talented eleven-year-old Winter-Culliford, is like watching fireworks alight a night sky. The two shine together and when entering the stage, they explode into an array of talent and skill. If this was a test of academics, Abigail Winter-Culliford would be considered full-blown genius as her slight and little-girl demeanour indicate nothing when she stares the audience directly and unflinchingly in the eye; when she postulates Shakespeare's words without a moment of doubt or hesitation. Winter-Culliford is quite possibly better a Shakespearean actress then ninety-percent of her fellow Stratford actors, and all of whom have their driver's license. A veteran of the stage, Donaldson plays off Winter-Culliford as he would a mature actress and treats her with no kid-gloves; Donaldson is smart enough to know that he must treat little Winter-Culliford with respect in equal measure as she does him.

Aside from the delightful performances, the costumes were stunning. Traditional in nature, but with fantastic flare; wardrobe master John Bynum worked with style, texture, lace, colour and pattern in the most exquisite fashion. The French division was decidedly more fashionable (who from France wouldn't be?) and in particular, the Princess and her three ladies wore the most spectacular ensembles.

Director Michael Langham, the second Artistic Director of the Stratford Festival after Tyron Guthrie, broke his leg during rehearsals and last years' Artistic Director Richard Monette came in to assist in the directing. What generally might be thought of as a disaster, I consider to be divine intervention; pairing the ‘old school' ideals of both Langham and Monette make for a well thought-out, well-planned and well-acted production. Many of the actors were from the Birmingham Conservatory or had their Stratford debut in Love's Labour's Lost, but even so, with two such dynamic directors at the helm, this production did not feel the impact of ‘fresh new blood' to the stage.