Shakespeare in Love (play)

Shakespeare in Love is a play by Lee Hall adapted from the 1998 film of the same title by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard.

Shakespeare in Love
Written byLee Hall
Based onShakespeare in Love
by Marc Norman
Tom Stoppard
Characters
  • Lady Capulet
  • Wessex
  • Henslowe
  • Tilney
  • Sir Robert De Lesseps
  • Fennyman
  • Queen Elizabeth
  • Ned Alleyn
  • Marlowe
  • Nol
  • Wabash
  • Frees, Musician
  • Will Shakespeare
  • Molly
  • Mistress Quickly
  • Sam
  • Ralph
  • Burbage
  • Viola De Lesseps
  • Kate
  • Webster
Date premiered22 July 2014
Place premieredNoël Coward Theatre, London
Original languageEnglish
GenrePlay
SettingLondon, 1593
Official site

Production history

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The play premiered at the Noël Coward Theatre in London's West End on 22 July 2014. It was produced by Disney Theatrical Productions and Sonia Friedman Productions and directed by Declan Donnellan, with design by Nick Ormerod and music by Paddy Cunneen.[1] The original cast included David Oakes appearing as Marlowe, Tom Bateman as Will, and Lucy Briggs-Owen as the heroine Viola De Lesseps.[2] The production closed on 18 April 2015.[3]

The production played to sold-out audiences during the 2016 Stratford (Ontario, Canada) Festival season. The director of the production was Declan Donnellan, with the rest of the original creative team from London show returning for the Canadian production.[citation needed]

The first U.S. production of the play occurred on 18 February 2017, at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.[4] The play was produced at the Burbage Theater of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, as the first presentation of its 2018–2019 season.[5]

In 2017, the first South African production of the play took place at The Fugard Theatre (Cape Town, South Africa). It was directed by Greg Karvellas, produced by Eric Abraham and starred Dylan Edy as William Shakespeare alongside Roxane Hayward as Viola De Lesseps.[6] It played to sold-out audiences and, due to its success, was brought back in 2018 with Hayward reprising her role, opposite Daniel Mpilo Richard stepping in as Shakespeare.[7]

In 2018, the Japanese version of the play was produced by Shiki Theatre Company.[8] The script was translated by Matsuoka Kazuko, and the production was directed by Aoki Go.[8] It was staged in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Fukuoka.[9]

In 2023, a Korean version of the play was produced by Shownotw. The production was directed by Kim Dong-yeon and translated by Lee In-Soo. It was staged at CJ Towol Theater in Seoul.[10] Shakespeare In Love became the first South Korean play of which ticket price exceeded 100,000 won.[11] The production company said that the price hike was inevitable, stating "The play is having its first run in Korea, so we had to create everything from scratch ― the set, lighting, costume and others. We had to bring most of the set props from outside of Korea because the play is set in the 16th-century Renaissance period, characterized by its extravagance and glamor. Due to inflation, labor costs have also gone up."[12]

Cast

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Original London Company
Cast from 12 January 2015
  • Elliott Rennie as Catlin / Musician
  • Andy McKeane as Ralph
  • Aaron Anthony as Ensemble
  • Jonno Davies as Ensemble
  • Florence Roberts as Ensemble
  • Sioned Jones as Ensemble
  • Ellie Nunn as Ensemble
  • Sandy Murray as Ensemble / Dance Captain
  • Nick Hart Ensemble / Musician

References

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  1. ^ "Home Page". Shakespeare in Love. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  2. ^ "Review of Shakespeare in Love". London Box Office. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  3. ^ Shakespeare In Love. Accessed: 21 March 2015.
  4. ^ Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  5. ^ McDonald, Susan (3 September 2018). "Innovation, talent on display in 'Shakespere in Love'". Vol. CXC, no. 1. The Providence Journal. p. A13.
  6. ^ "South African production of Shakespeare In Love". Broadway World. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  7. ^ "Back! Shakespeare In Love at The Fugard Theatre". Weekend Special. May 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  8. ^ a b "Shakespeare in Love". Shiki Theatre Company. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  9. ^ "愛と演劇への喜び紡ぐ、劇団四季「恋におちたシェイクスピア」開幕". ステージナタリー (in Japanese). 21 June 2018. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  10. ^ 조, 재현. "'셰익스피어 인 러브' 내달 한국 초연…정소민·김유정 첫 연극". Naver News (in Korean). Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  11. ^ Cho Yeon-kyung (7 February 2023). ""22人 원팀" 韓초연 '셰익스피어 인 러브' 행복한 자부심(종합)" ["One team of 22" Korean premiere 'Shakespeare in Love' happy pride (comprehensive)] (in Korean). JTBC. Retrieved 20 February 2023 – via Naver.
  12. ^ Kwak Yeon-soo (6 January 2023). "Theater lovers disappointed with hike in ticket prices". The Korea Times. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  13. ^ "Shakespeare in Love - Samuel French". www.samuelfrench.com. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
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