Shakespeare on Love

Stratford’s Second Thoughts Drama Group kicked off their 2026 season with a Valentine’s themed romp through some of the Bard’s best bits focusing on romantic love.  Shakespeare on Love has its origins in a 2003 show of the same name, created for youth theatre group Rogues and Vagabonds by director Amanda Laidler and Andrew Holtom.  As well as showcasing some wonderful poetry, the show also aimed to look at how Shakespeare inspired writers of musical theatre and film.  To that end, the evening was peppered with musical interludes from the likes of West Side Story, Return to the Forbidden Planet and Kiss Me Kate. 

The show was presented on an open stage with various different acting areas delineated by, for instance, a set of boxes with heart decorations, a bush and – of course - a balcony. Unfortunately, some first night technical gremlins affecting the lighting meant that light did not quite manage to through yonder window break!  There were some nice costume elements – for example Oberon and Titania wore impressive capes and Cleopatra was decked out in full Egyptian garb.  Other characters were represented by additional clothing elements, such as hats and scarves, an approach that worked effectively.  I did wonder, though, if some more consistency in ‘base’ costuming across the cast might have been effective.

We were guided through the evening by a pair of narrators – Gill Hines and Nic Walsh – who explained the theme and introduced each item, like a welcoming pair of Shakespearean academics.  They read their words from a script, which was in keeping with the ‘lecture theatre’ style of their presentation, but did reduce the level of contact they were able to achieve with the audience.  Also flitting around throughout the evening was Chloe Jane Wiltshire’s Puck – a playful presence who interacted with the narrators and, occasionally, with the performers.  She also sang some nice Shakespearean songs which added variety to the show. 

The show began with a trio of short speeches on the theme from Berowne, Rosalind and Don Adriano (Noel Dollimore, Rachel Alcock and Adam Schumacher), before a couple of longer scenes, firstly from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as Tim Raistrick’s Oberon and Georgie Headley’s Titania sparred with each other.  This was followed by the famous balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet, performed by Emerson Fairclough and Georgina Monk.  This led in to the first songs of the evening, as Vanessa Gravestock and Daniel Denton-Harris took on the roles of Maria and Tony from West Side Story in a pair of impressive vocal performances.  The tragic conclusion to the story was then told by Noel Dollimore and Ian McLean as Friar Laurence and the Prince.

Some lighter fare was next on the bill, as a trio of romantic pairs were showcased.  First, Georgina Monk and Emerson Fairclough combined again as the island-bound pair Miranda and Ferdinand from The Tempest.  This led into a nice rendition of ‘Teenager in Love’ from Return to the Forbidden Planet – a musical inspired by a film inspired by the play!  After the interval, Georgina Monk returned as Perdita, this time joined by Daniel Denton Harris as Florizel, nicely demonstrating their bucolic romance from The Winter’s Tale.  The famously bickering pairing of Beatrice and Benedick from Much Ado About Nothing were next up, with Stephanie Jepson-Sensicle and Noel Dollimore having fun with their affectionate bantering, which of course suddenly becomes darker as Benedick is challenged to prove his love.

An Egyptian interlude showcased Cleopatra (Rachel Alcock) and her love for Mark Anthony.  Georgina Monk (Viola) and Adam Schumacher (Orsino) then took us on an un-programmed but welcome excursion into Twelfth Night, before we launched into a section contrasting The Taming of the Shrew with its theatrical adaptation, Kiss Me Kate.  Singing songs from the latter, Georgie Headley had great fun with ‘I Hate Men’, before Vanessa Gravestock sung of what it’s like to be ‘So In Love’.  And if the classic ‘Brush Up Your Shakespeare’ might not strictly speaking be on-theme, it presented too good a chance to miss, and Tim Raistrick and Adam Schumacher grabbed the opportunity with relish.  Meawhile, Tim Guest, Kate Guest and Ian McLean presented the Shakespearean version, as Petruchio, Katherine and Baptista respectively.  This provided an interesting opportunity for the narrators to explore some of the more problematic elements of Shakespeare’s early comedy. 

It can be tricky to present isolated scenes from Shakespeare, shorn of their wider context, but the Second Thoughts team did a good job in portraying the timeless emotions depicted by Shakespeare, and the unifying theme of love and romance worked well to bring the show together into a coherent whole.  I also thought the well-performed songs added some great variety.  As the evening drew to a close, there was time for Oberon and Titania to conclude their story – helped by the ever-willing Puck – before the whole cast united in a full-throated reprise of ‘Brush Up Your Shakespeare’. 

Well done to all at Second Thoughts for presenting an interesting, thought-provoking and, above all, entertaining night of theatre.  I look forward to seeing you again in July, when Terry Pratchett’s Guards! Guards! promises to provide something completely different!

Chris Davies Regional Representative District 5

It is always a pleasure to join Second Thoughts at The Bear Pit Theatre in Stratford. A town somewhat known for a certain playwright. I enjoyed this show from start to finish and greatly appreciated the mixture of text and musical numbers from great West End shows.

From me I can wrap un with me congratulations for an entertaining evening. I too look forward to seeing everyone at Guards! Guards!

Andy Brown, Regional Councillor NODA West Midlands

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