Based on the screenplay by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard
Adapted for the stage by Lee Hall – New Theatre, Newtown
I have a confession: I have never seen the classic 1998 film ‘Shakespeare in Love’, which won seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Actress for Gwyneth Paltrow, and Best Supporting Actress for Dame Judi Dench. I was very excited to attend the Sydney stage adaptation premiere at the New Theatre. Let me say that after seeing this fabulous production, which brims with passion, love, and laughter, I will ensure I watch the movie as soon as possible.
In Shakespeare in Love, a young William Shakespeare struggles with severe writer’s block and needs a muse. His new comedy, Romeo and Ethel the Pirate’s Daughter, isn’t turning out as he hoped, and he has a tight deadline to deliver his next masterpiece, having already sold it to two rival theaters. All attempts fail him until he meets the beautiful Viola De Lesseps, who loves theater and wants nothing more than to be an actress—a profession forbidden to women. Dressing as a man and calling herself Thomas Kent, Viola auditions for the play and gets the lead role. Viola, or Thomas, infiltrates the theater world, and William quickly realizes that Viola and Thomas are the same. The doomed real-life romance takes hold as Shakespeare starts writing Romeo and Juliet, which ultimately becomes one of his greatest works.
Shakespeare in Love is a classic fish-out-of-water/ person-in-disguise story, but what this Sydney premiere does is incredibly clever. Not only is Viola, a woman, masquerading as Thomas, a man, in a play set in a time when men played all female roles in ‘drag’ (Dressed Roughly As a Girl), but Director Madeleine Withington has cast actress Charlotte Saluszinsky as protagonist William Shakespeare. Casting Saluszinsky is a masterstroke and adds a whole layer of complexity, leading the audience to view this story through a refreshingly new queer lens.
Charlotte Saluszinsky portrays Shakespeare with authenticity and heart. She deftly delivers writer Lee Hall’s clever dialogue, landing every joke and punctuating the comedy with spot-on timing. Kim Clifton’s Viola is sweet yet driven and entirely believable when her character masquerades as a twink-like Thomas Kent. Her onstage chemistry with Saluszinsky is passionate and fiery. This outstanding pair of young actresses is the heart and soul of the show and handles the wordy, fast-paced script with ease. When the action shifts to scenes from Romeo and Juliet, Saluszinky and Clifton prove their deft ability as classical actors (in fact, I would love to see the two of them take on the roles of Romeo and Juliet in a full production).
Chad Traupmann, as Wessex—the man Viola ultimately marries—gives up her affair with Shakespeare to allow his art to triumph. He is suitably bombastic and plays a fantastic, albeit easily deceived, villain. In another instance of gender-blind casting, Raechyl French plays Shakespeare’s mentor and fellow author Kit Marlow, providing young William with some of his most famous lines (for example, “How can I compare thee to a summer’s day?”). The entire ensemble, many of whom play multiple roles, each has a moment or two throughout the show that allows them to shine and get laughs, with standout moments being Lynn Roise’s Queen Elizabeth and a hilarious scene from Charlotte Edwards’ John Webster.
Much of the comedy arises from playing with the idea of cross-dressing and mistaken identities while the pace remains fast and lively. Several subplots require the audience to stay alert, but the payoff is worth it. “Shakespeare in Love” is a fun romp that blends Shakespearean comedy with tragedy and delivers plenty of laughs.
Shakespeare in Love is playing at the New Theatre, Newtown, through 14 December
Photos © Chris Lundie
In his past lives, Damien was a drag queen and musical theatre actor. He made his stage debut as a fat cow in a school production of Joseph in 1984. He holds a BA with a major in drama from the University of Newcastle. He is completely obsessed with musical theatre – especially Broadway divas.
Since relocating to Sydney at the beginning of 2024, he attends every musical he can get to and lives with his partner and grumpy 12-year-old poodle.
His claim to fame is that he once met Patti Lupone in New York and she was nice to him.