By William Shakespeare. The Little Fish. Kay Brothers Amery Vineyards. 14 Feb 2015
One might imagine that sitting in a barrel room of Kay Brothers on a 40 degree day, without fans or air-conditioning, would be a pretty uncomfortable experience. If you step outside however you instantly appreciate the last minute indoors location change and are grateful for the roof over your head.
Surrounded by stone walls, towering timber trusses and raw hardwood floors, it turns out this space is perfect for a Shakespeare play like The Little Fish’s ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’. It is the perfect play for an afternoon in the Vale.
One of Shakespeare’s least performed works, the plot is remarkably straight forward. When the King of Navarre and three members of his court, Berowne, Dumain and Longueville, take an oath to study for three years and not see any women, four young women rock up and they immediately fall in love. The rest of the play follows the characters as they exchange quips, puns and put-downs in the pursuit of love.
An early work of Shakespeare, the play is thought to have been written in the mid-1590s. Whilst the plot is relatively straight forward the language is not. It is, in fact, a play about language and, as such, requires a strong ensemble and precise diction. The Little Fish cast is varied in capability with some stand-out performers and a few rough diamonds, but the director, Russell Slater, has found a cohesion which makes the production highly enjoyable.
Mark Drury plays Berowne with a wonderful pace and rhythm. His understanding of the character’s intention is superb. Costard is a rustic swain, played by Ronald Densley. He is, like Bottom, prone to malapropisms and Densley is witty and energetic in this role; the supreme mischief-maker. When Amelia Lórien sings she commands attention. One can almost hear the walls breathe as her smoky voice, accompanied only by ukelele, fills the room; hers is a commanding presence. Phoebe Shaw is utterly delightful in her dual roles of Maria and Jaquenetta.
The hard-working ensemble’s strength grows with the production, though their focus when not speaking is an area for development. Damien White is wonderfully intense in his portrayal of Don Adriano de Armado, but his reluctance to make eye contact takes the shine off. Ian Seymour-White and Isabella Shaw both also have excellent diction. Similarly Leah Anderson’s Princess is beautifully clear though slightly too loud for this intimate space. James Millward, Linda Edwards, Christopher Searle, Ashley Dunn, Bianca Payne, David Whittlesea and Harmony Kapsley round out the talented ensemble cast.
The production is embellished by wonderful interludes of song. They are performed by Amelia Lórien and Aiken Newnham and the compositions have been originally arranged for the production, incorporating 400 year old lyrics. Bravo!
Valentine’s Day marks the last performance for this show, but not for The Little Fish.
Their mid-year production of Shakespeare’s ‘Antony and Cleopatra’ is sure to be another success.
Paul Rodda
When: Closed
Where: Kay Brothers Amery Vineyards
Bookings: Closed
