Lynn Belvedere

THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA (RSC ENCORE SCREENINGS)

Sarah MacRae, Jonny Glynn and Nicholas Gerard-Martin in The Two Gentlemen of Verona
Sarah MacRae, Jonny Glynn and Nicholas Gerard-Martin in The Two Gentlemen of Verona

The Royal Shakespeare Company, presents for the first time in 45 years and performed in full production, Shakespeare’s exuberant romantic comedy THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre main stage at Stratford-upon-Avon, and then broadcast live and digitally streamed to cinema audiences all around the world. You will love The Two Gentlemen of Verona, so long as you enjoy Shakespeare.

Written during those years whilst the bard was still learning his craft, and long before he wrote ‘Romeo and Juliet’, the film is presented with a few musical interludes, and an extended and joyful opening containing a colourful framework full of music and spectacle.

This allows modern audiences to better appreciate Shakespeare’s wry commentary on friendship and love, as seen in the world of Italian high-society through the eyes of four lovers (ménage à quatre), with the inevitable cross dressing, and covering themes of friendship and infidelity when in love, plus the foolish behaviour that people carry on when they are in love or lust.

Modern-dress presentation by the RSC as directed by Simon Godwin, this is an early and rarely seen Shakespeare, is an exuberant romantic comedy play of double-crossed lovers, has been brought vividly to life with money well spent on expensive and elaborate stage sets with an excellent cast. The pre-show framework spent fifteen minutes with the actors improvising, around an modern Italian open air busy restaurant café in Verona, and soon the two gentlemen travel to enjoy the sophistication of the Milanese court.

This Shakespearean theatregoer long-ago succumbed to the desperate need to see all of Shakespeare’s plays performed unedited, so thank you RSC. With hindsight and being an early play, you can see the playwright trying out some previously unseen new ideas and testing out themes, which will be reused in his later plays and examined in much more detail, such as: running gags, misdirection with scene-stealing and diversionary monologues, women believably disguised as men, objects of male desire are displayed on balconies, and of course love is tested and found wanting, with a full portrait of the all-consuming madness when in love.

THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA has Shakespeare’s most scene-stealing non-speaking role, an actual dog named Crab, who predictably also upstaged all with a star performance, but try not to let the dog distract you too. His owner, Launce is servant to Proteus. To make this comedy work for a modern audience, of course the secret would be to direct for farce, and to be as over the top as possible, as often as possible.

THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA is assumed and presumed to be one of Shakespeare’s earliest plays (and possibly even the first play to survive) along with THE COMEDY OF ERRORS, and for RSC this is a production of a play that is safely attributable to the famous man from Stratford, because this play is not a lost play or multi-authored work, such as those written by Sir Thomas More or Cardenio. Of course sixteenth century plays, do not conform to our modern standards in regard to gender and race.

Running time: 165 minutes, including the 20 minute interval.

This is the Shakespeare play with the smallest cast, and stars: Mark Arends (Proteus), Elliot Barnes-Worrell (Outlaw), Martin Bassindale (Speed), Pearl Chanda (Julia), Nicholas Gerard-Martin (Turio), Robert Gilbert (Outlaw), Jonny Glynn (The Duke of Milan), Molly Gromadzki (Host/Singer), Youssef Kerkour (Sir Eglamour), Sarah MacRae (Silvia), Michael Marcus (Valentine), Roger Morlidge (Launce), Mossup (Crab the Dog), Keith Osborn (Antonio), Leigh Quinn (Lucetta), Simon Yadoo (Panthino/Outlaw). The casting is pitch-perfect, beautifully done and the acting first class plus the strength is the ensemble. Many of the RSC cast, are the young new actors at RSC, and over the next few years many will become well-known major actors.

THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA (RSC Encore Screenings) –

Official Website: http://www.rsc.org.uk/whats-on/the-two-gentlemen-of-verona/

Published by Lynn Belvedere

Once we were old enough, my parents took the whole family to the Sydney CBD cinemas every week. Thus began a lifetime interest, in going to the cinema every week, and became a passionate cinephile by watching all those very heavily edited ''Australian Film Censorship Board'' true cinéaste versions of brand new release ''Cinematograph Films''. Greater Union always gave my father (who worked in Cinema Distribution Exhibition) guest double movie passes, to every first-night ''red carpet Opening Night'' at The State Theatre Cinema at 49 Market Street. Up until his death, my dad always received ''two house seats'' for every Opening Night performance events at the Theatre Royal SYDNEY and at Her Majesty's Theatre SYDNEY. As a child, when mum choose not to go, I often went with him, to those live performance events. As a young child, I remember being taken for each new show, at both The New Theatre at 60 Sussex Street, and the Phillip Street Theatre when located at 150 Elizabeth Street, and for classical music concerts at Sydney Town Hall. = = = ★★★★★ = = = Being happy is a choice, and I have always viewed my life, as material ready be made into a series of amazing tentpole movies. My New Years Resolution is kept every year: ''Get to see/review five new live theatre shows each week, and get to see/review six new cinema movies each week'', plus is one of the Australian Cinema Pioneers, and apparently have seen far too much already, but always wanting to experience more and more each year. I am also able to do almost everything that I enjoy doing. Yes, I do have a great daytime job in I.T. as ''Software Design Project Manager'', PLUS each evening until quite late - - - Australian Cinematograph Films historical censorship consultant - product-placement consultant - mystery-shopper consultant - playwright, writer, author, director, producer, photographer, cinematographer, color-grader, subtitles proofreader - arts/ drama/ music/ film critic and judge, journalist, member FIPRESCI & FCCA & AFCA, member AACTA accredited film reviewer-critic-writer, accredited IMDB.COM critic-reviewer-author, projectionist, plus an innovative iconoclast - - - ★★★★★ LYNN BELVEDERE ★★★★★ - - - [usr 5] - - -