FOUR STARS
ANYONE who has a love
of Shakespeare and his extensive portfolio of work should beat a path
to the Rose Theatre.
Tucked behind its
bigger neighbour, The Globe, this gem of a theatre is getting a well
deserved reputation for putting on interesting and original versions
of some of Shakespeare's best plays and those of his contemporaries.
However, the team has
now turned its attention to Shakespeare's sonnets and taken some of
the most well known and paired them up with a score for a solo cello.
The result is Where
Late The Sweet Birds Sang, directed by Martin Parr which fuses
together the music and the verse to create a beautiful piece about
love, conflict and reconciliation.
It features just two
performers, actress Katherine Heath and cellist Lucia Capellaro. It
begins in darkness save for a spotlight which shines on Lucia as she
performs her cello solo right at the back of the space by the water.
We then see Katherine
who walks from a spot behind Lucia to the stage which features a
double bed, a table and a few clothes.
To begin with the music
and words are performed completely separately but by the end they
have merged together.
During the hour long
show we see a whole range of human emotions stemming from the
happiness felt at what it is to be in love, to the anger and sadness
at how it feels to then be rejected and then the joy at being
reconciled.
They are shown through
the words of the sonnets by Katherine but also through the beautiful
and complementary music played by Lucia.
The result is stunning
- my only regret is that it wasn't longer.
Where Late The Sweet
Birds Sang is on at the Rose Theatre, Park Street, until Saturday,
November 29. Tickets cost £12. Visit www.rosetheatre.org.uk/ or call
the box office on 020 7261 9565
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