Verona cleverly updated to early 1980s
The Two Gentlemen of Verona, RAD Company and Slip of the Tongue Theatre, directed by Penni Bousfield Surrealist Garden, Hamilton Gardens, Thursday night
Reviewed by Mike Mather
Do the young gentlemen and gentlewomen of Raglan dream of heading to Hamilton to broaden their horizons, in the same way Proteus and Valentine of Verona eye the bright lights of Milan?
That is pretty unlikely. But if they dream instead of a life of stardom on stage or screen, they deserve to have those wishes fulfilled, judging by the polished, ebullient performances of the cast of The Two Gentlemen of Verona.
And what clever casting it is. Director Penni Bousfield has subverted the roles of many of the male heavy ensemble, and the two titular ‘‘gentlemen’’ of the show are played by women – Monika De La Cruz and Eleanor Clarke as Proteus and
Valentine respectively. So too are some other fairly central characters – Valentine’s manservant (Hanna Allouard) and Proteus’ servant Launce (Leila-Rose Skeates) – who, along with Launce’s dog Crab (Connor Marquand) provide some of the play’s best comedic moments.
All hail from the Raglan-based RAD Company, this year collaborating with Hamilton’s Slip of the Tongue Theatre company – for years the purveyors of all things Shakespeare at the gardens arts fest.
The coastal town is rich in artistic talent and, evidently, an absolute wealth of acting talent too.
It is almost impossible to pick a player of the day. But were you to threaten my life with a pair of kitchen tongs (apparently such things can happen in the forests of northern Italy), Ruth Hare, who plays Julia, the apple of Proteus’ eye, owns every scene she is in.
This production, music and costuming is ingeniously set in the ‘‘new romantic’’ era of the early 1980s – think Adam and the Ants, Culture Club, Men Without Hats – a perfect fit for the lovelorn whimsy of this tale.
So too was the venue, the weird ‘‘trees’’ of the Surrealist Garden complementing some minimalist set design (a couple of boxes).
As is usual with the quieter productions that rely on the players clearly enunciating the script, there was a battle to be heard above the sound drifting over from the other parts of the gardens. The show had to be delayed half an hour to avoid clashing with the amplified utterances emanating from the nearby Opera Botanica concert.
For punters aiming to catch the eyewateringly early 5am show tomorrow, note that the runtime is 21⁄2 hours, not the 90 minutes as stated in the festival programme.
Some kind of seating on which to perch your bottom is essential.
This production had been staged in Raglan, Te Awamutu and Otorohanga prior to the arts festival shows, and the cast were confident and having the time of their lives. It was great to see.
Don’t miss this – it’s a hoot.