Join us as we follow the fortunes, fallouts, confusions of a group of romantic students, the King of Navarre and his friends, as they swear off women to become better men. Of course it’s not as simple as that when the clever and intelligent Princess of France and her friends arrive on the scene. We are treated to intrigue, comedy and songs as the Bishop’s Palace plays host and stage to the passion and trickery that unfolds.
The Palace is an incredible venue to perform in, and presents a unique set of challenges. For instance, returning cast members learn to read the weather and predict how it might affect the acoustics of the space: so they can adapt how they use their voices in response. Unlike most open-air theatre companies (and with grateful thanks to CADW), we're fortunate to be able to rehearse almost entirely in the venue itself: this gives performers a valuable chance to learn their way around it, both metaphorically and literally! It also means we can use the actual fabric of the building as our stage space (instead of being limited to portable staging blocks), embedding Shakespeare's storytelling into a building which predates it by three centuries. Our stage may change from year to year as CADW undertakes important conservation work to look after this building, and each year we adapt to our new, old surroundings. We are always thrilled that the stones and arches seem to adapt to us and our production too and this year they will be the backdrop to our 18th century setting. Our live band and original music by Colin Baines accompany the action.
We hope you can join us for a night this August, for a show which looks set to be full of fun. Love’s Labour’s Lost is an early showcase of the kind of comedy that Shakespeare became renowned for and its poignant, musical ending acknowledges the darkness that can surround the love and the light of life.