Love’s Labour’s Lost. Photos: Post Mortem Productions / Facebook
Love’s Labour’s Lost is one of Shakespeare’s earlier comedies, and it has now received its Malta debut thanks to Post Mortem Productions.
This emerging theatre company opts for a contemporary and humorous formula, rather than the classic, formal Shakespeare. They do this to mixed results, with some genuine moments of hilarity and others that don’t quite land. Before diving into the full review, some production details.
Table of Contents
Love’s Labour’s Lost – details
| Play | Love’s Labour’s Lost |
| My Rating | ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5) |
| Producers | Post Mortem Productions |
| Script | William Shakespeare |
| Script editing | Amy Jo Camilleri & Melissa Mercieca |
| Directors | Amy Jo Camilleri & Melissa Mercieca |
| Cast | Amy Jo Camilleri, Myron Ellul, Stefan Galea, Greta Holland, Eva Mallia Consiglio, Melissa Mercieca, Luca Piccinino, Shaun Rizzo, Martina Schembri |
| Stage Manager, Costumes & Props | Eva Mallia Consiglio |
| Lighting | Dynamic Lighting & Audio, Gianluca Bianco |
| Sound editing | Melissa Mercieca |
| Set design | Michael Camilleri |
| Content warnings | None |
| Running Time | 1 hour 30 mins |
| Venue | Cafe Riche |
| Language | English |
Love’s Labour’s Lost – narrative & venue
Love’s Labour’s Lost is often touted as the first draft of Much Ado About Nothing, and it’s easy to see why. The kingdom of Navarre’s King Ferdinand and his three sidekicks decide to forego the company of women for a year so as to be able to focus on their studies. An actual decree is duly published, forbidding women from entering court.
A fly manifests in the ointment. The King is expected to host the Princess of France and her ladies-in-waiting. Of course, everyone falls in love with their neat counterpart, and a tale of disguises, mistaken identities and high jinks ensues. So far, so Shakespeare and – mystifyingly – the tale still works.
The play is staged in the outdoor area at Cafe Riche, one of Vittoriosa’s most wonderfully quaint spaces. The vibe suits the production well, but it does come with considerable downsides. The noise from the street, which is plentiful, continuously spills into the dialogue. And the seating formation makes it difficult to have a full view of all the action at all times, unless you’re at the very front (or unless you’re really tall, which I am not).
Love’s Labour’s Lost – direction
Love’s Labour’s Lost is co-directed by Amy Jo Camilleri and Melissa Mercieca. Direction does not always bring the production’s many elements into one cohesive whole. Scenes sometimes compete with each other, the peripheral goings-on drawing attention away from the principal action. Greater directorial restraint would have allowed the central performances to establish themselves more fully.
The play makes use of several devices to create a more contemporary approach. In Malta, the inevitable comparison is with WhatsTheirNames Theatre*, who introduced this particular style to local audiences.
Love’s Labour’s Lost adopts three of its most recognisable elements: live music, audience participation and performance in a non-traditional venue. However, it does not yet adapt them sufficiently to establish a distinctive identity of its own.
Their inclusion often feels somewhat by the numbers, and not particularly matched to the strengths of the cast. The live singing demanded a degree of vocal prowess the performers are yet to acquire, and audience participation felt incidental to the comedy.
One notable exception was the scene in which the King and his companions disguise themselves as Russians: the use of Boney M’s classic Rasputin gave the sequence an infectious comic energy that took over the entire audience.
*Transparency disclosure: I am related to a member of WhatsTheirNames Theatre, which is why you won’t find any recent reviews of their works.
The cast
Most of the nine-strong cast take on various roles throughout the show. Myron Ellul gives one of the strongest performances as Berowne, the King’s companion who reluctantly signs the no-women edict and promptly falls for Rosaline.
Berowne’s character is witty, and eloquent, all features that are well-matched by Ellul’s skills. The actor has a natural talent for physical comedy, which has gotten considerably stronger since I last reviewed him (I think) in Private Lives. His facial reactions are often as entertaining as his lines, making him one of the production’s most consistently strong performers.
Martina Schembri as Rosaline proves a worthy foil to Ellul’s Berowne, matching his energy and comic instinct beat for beat. Schembri is even more hilarious when doubling as Jaquenetta the country maid, a role that allows her to give her comic instincts freer rein. Schembri’s bold characterisation works beautifully, and she has the audience in the palm of her hand. I also saw Schembri perform most recently in Ġimgħa l-Ħabs, where she portrays a completely different character just as solidly. Clearly, this actor’s range spans wider than comedy and I look forward to more.
The role of Don Armado is taken by co-director Melissa Mercieca, who is no stranger to Shakespearean roles having played Goneril in the MADC’s King Lear last year. Mercieca makes a deliciously rogue Don Armado, playing up the Spanish lord’s somewhat shady handsomeness while donning a series of inspired costumes. She adds a touch of absurdity to the swaggering self-confidence of the character, making him even funnier.
Across the wider ensemble, delivery and comic timing were more uneven. Projection was lacking, especially considering the noisy surroundings, and several comic beats failed to hit.
Love’s Labour’s Lost – verdict
Love’s Labour’s Lost presents no shortage of energy, but the production does not shape this into a distinctive theatrical whole. I would have liked to see an adaptation more tailored to the strengths of this specific cast, with less reliance on familiar devices deployed by the numbers. Incidentally, this year’s Shakespeare Globe production of the same play provides ample inspiration about the possibilities for adaptation. In this case, much of the humour and surprise is derived from making the characters Spanish and adding flamenco to the mix.
But back to Post Mortem Productions. There’s one moment in the play where one of the actors – I believe Shaun Rizzo, though I may be mistaken – introduces a random and effortless “Konnichiwa” amidst all the pseudo-Russian accents. The audience loses it. The production could trust this kind of spontaneous humour more often. Such moments suggest that, as the ensemble grows, it may yet develop a comic language that feels unmistakably its own.
Affiliate/Advertising Disclaimer: How I Carry Out Reviews
I received no payment for this review of Love’s Labour’s Lost, and I was offered a press ticket. The opinions expressed here are purely my own and the producers had no input/control over what I wrote. There are no affiliate links contained within this page. To learn more about my policies and my reviewing process, visit my Affiliate/Advertising disclosure page. To better understand what my rating means, check out the details of the star system.
