Shakespeare in love with the stage

The latest hit film to be adapted for the West End stage in London (UK) is Shakespeare in Love. Tom Bateman and Lucy Briggs-Owen take the lead roles, which were played by Joseph Fiennes and Gwyneth Paltrow in the original film.

Tom Stoppard’s script was adapted for the stage by Lee Hall. The journey from celluloid to stage has not been easy, however. The film came out in 1998 and all previous efforts to bring the story to the stage came to nothing. This production is backed by Disney.

The show features a complicated set and, for the West End, a large cast of 28, plus a dog. Yes, the dog takes centre stage, much to the joy of audiences. Various actors have noted that all the dog does is run round the stage eating hidden doggie treats, but then actors have always been wary of working with animals and children.

Reviews of the show have been good, much to the satisfaction of the Noel Coward theatre, which is hoping for a long, sell-out run.