‘All’s Well That Ends Well’ by William Shakespeare
14 October 2022
On Saturday we were at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon to see the RSC production of ‘All’s Well That Ends Well’ directed by Blanche McIntyre. I had only seen ‘All’s Well That Ends Well’ once before - in a Royal Exchange Theatre production at Upper Campfield Market in Manchester in 1996. It is sometimes described as one of the ‘problem plays’, with an uncomfortable plot that is essentially: girl falls in love with boy - boy rejects girl - girl persuades king to force boy to marry her against his will - boy runs away - girl stalks boy across Europe, tricks him into sleeping with her by pretending to be the girl he actually loves and thereby forces him to return to her. It is also one of those Shakespeare plays that feels like he is trying out ideas that he will use to greater effect elsewhere. The imprisonment, blindfolding and humiliation of Parolles, for example, has a clear connection with the treatment of Malvolio in ‘Twelfth Night’. Blanche McIntyre gives the play a contemporary setting, with social media feeds projected across the back of the stage - which does prove useful in clarifying some of the main off-stage plot developments. The acting was impressive and entertaining, with a great central performance by Rosie Sheehy as Helena. But it’s not a great play.
posted by Robin Simpson @ 4:10 pm
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