There aren’t that many proper musical theatre adaptations of Shakespeare plays, though there are a lot, like The Lion King, with vague links. The most obvious are West Side Story, Kiss Me Kate & The Boys from Syracuse, then you begin to struggle. This recent musical adaptation of Loves Labours Lost by Michael Friedman and Alex Timbers, perhaps the only musical based on this play, joins this small club, and boy is it good.
The King and his three college friends take an oath that they will devote themselves to study and self-improvement for three years. When the Princess and her three friends turn up they are kept at a distance, but this doesn’t last long as no-one on either side has enough will-power to resist such temptation. They are tested again with news of the death of the Princess’ father. The excellent sub-plot involving a Spanish visitor is included, and it really is a faithful and very funny take on Shakespeare’s play.
It’s an excellent adaptation, with a fine pop-rock score full of good tunes and witty lyrics. The production values are way higher than you might expect from a conservatoire; the show playing in, and in font of, a two-story hotel. The musical standards are exceptional and the ensemble, one of two sharing the six performances, is packed full of talent. It’s easy to see how these young performers will be turning up in professional productions in the coming years; I continue to be in awe of the consistency of talent coming out of RAM and GSMD.
This show deserves a much longer run, but RAM does it proud, filling the lovely Hackney Empire with fun and joy.
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