Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Cast: Charlotte Cornwell, Alex Waldman, Joanna Horton, Jonathan Slinger, Nicolas Tennant, Cliff Burnett, Kiza Deen, Greg Hicks, David Fielder, Mark Holgate, Chris Jared, John Stahl, David Fishley, Karen Archer, Natalie Klamar, Rosie Hilal, Michael Grady-Hall.
William Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well never seems to be considered a prominent play in the great man’s work. Rarely touched upon in schools and Universities, it has slotted neatly into the academic thought as one of the problem plays and always seems to get passed over in favour of others of the Bard’s works when talked of. The Victorians arguably disliked it because of the role reversal nature of Helena and Betram but George Bernard Shaw greatly admired the use of a female protagonist who took control of her own destiny and simply didn’t wait upon a man’s thought to get what she truly desired.
The Theatre Royal in Newcastle, which is playing host to the R.S.C., showcased this problem play and breathed new life into it with a flurry of activity, acting of some of the highest quality and by giving it the modern angle that has become much beloved of many theatre lovers, the possibility of becoming a much more understood drama for audiences.
Set against the contemporary concept of war and dishonour, All’s Well That Ends Well was shown as the other side of the coin in terms of warfare, the moments in which a talkative coward is shown for what he is truly worth, the soldiers whilst brave, still resorting to the pitfalls of base male urges and with the one redeeming factor that honour can still be found. All the while the female fraternity is upheld and made solid as the friendship between Diana, Helena and the Countess of Rossillion is heightened and highlighted to great effect.
With a cast that produced moments of tender dramatization and subtle comic effect against such a serious backdrop of war, Joanna Horton as Helena, Jonathan Slinger as the coward Parolles, Natalie Klamar as the wonderful Diana and Alex Waldman as the unwilling husband Bertram were all absolute joys to behold. Greg Hicks as the King of France was the centre-piece in this karmic game of chess, his performance amongst the very finest in the R.S.C.’s long and distinguished history; a masterclass of understated brilliance.
Life is not always meant to follow the conventional, All’s Well That Ends Well should not be seen as much as a problem play in which The Victorians had no stomach for but as a forward thinking play by the master of them all.
Ian D. Hall