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ED2014 2/5 Reviews ED2014 Theatre Reviews
The Sonneteer (Sebastian Michael and Tom Medcalf with Optimistic Creations)
By Dave Fargnoli | Published on Wednesday 6 August 2014
If you have bad memories of high school English lessons, it’s probably because your introduction to Shakespeare’s poetry was as dry as this intelligent but flawed play. Writer Sebastian Michael clearly loves the material, convincingly weaving Shakespeare’s sonnets into a backdrop for two imagined love affairs, one between a professor and his student, the other between the Bard and his patron. It’s a worthy attempt to approach these timeless texts from a new angle, but it suffers from unclear direction and indistinct characterisation. Abstract movements muddy things further, making it difficult to know which storyline you’re watching at any given time. You’ll be reminded why Shakespeare’s writing was so good, but this production ends up wandering in his shadow.
Greenside @ Nicolson Square, until 23 Aug.
tw rating 2/5 | [Dave Fargnoli]
