'The Two Gentlemen of Verona', a very early Shakespeare play (his first), is often met with scorn and considered a lesser effort. Reading it and watching this production (of one of a very limited DVD production), it is far from one of Shakespeare's best and is problematic but has enough interest points to not make it that bad (such as introducing themes and motifs that would develop later), actually like most of the characterisation and the language. Story-wise it can be improbable though and the ending is absurd, not a fan of Proteus either.
Have seen two productions on DVD. One is from 1983 as part as the BBC Television Shakespeare series. The other is this one from the Royal Shakespeare Company. In my view, of the two productions this is the superior one. The other is still good, entertaining and well performed but doesn't do enough to solve the play's problems. This production however does make an admirable attempt to do so, and while it doesn't completely succeed the effort is a lot more evident. Plus it improves upon a couple of elements.
By all means, this production is imperfect. Although the more melancholic approach was appreciated, also more reflective, the ending is still abrupt and absurd.
Although Proteus is more complex in this production, with the production making a laudable and generally successful attempt to give a conflicted edge to a contender for Shakespeare's most unlikeable "anti-hero", the treatment of him at the end is still far too improbably easy and one really questions what anybody would see in him.
It's not the fault of Mark Arends that that is the case, this is entirely down to the source material and it would take a huge amount to make either plausible. Lets though get onto the improvements the production has over the play. It does a great job giving secondary characters more depth and more identity, and it succeeds too in making Valentine and Silvia a lot more interesting (they feel fleshed out, much of it being down to the way they're performed, and not stupid or under-characterised).
Visually, this production of 'The Two Gentlemen of Verona' looks very attractive. The sets are simple but not simplistic, contrasting Verona and the more racy Milan well, and the costumes are not too much of a mishmash of styles and don't look cheap. Pearl Chanda especially actually looks quite luminous. The lighting has atmosphere and really liked the intimacy of the video directing which makes one feel like they are there. The music appeals to the ears and didn't come over as too anarchronistic. Simon Godwin's staging is on the most part spot on, the implausible parts are not quite solved but when it comes to making characters more interesting and how they interact with each other the stage direction is quite masterful with no touches that leaves one in disgust. The rope ladder scene is still very funny and eloquent revealing of elopement plans has seldom been funnier in any other literature.
Despite any problems with the characters themselves, the performances all round are terrific. Arends is a compellingly tortured Proteus rather than the stereotypical cad that he easily could have just been, relishing the role while being not too noble or too oafish while having menace, authority and occasional pathos. Chanda is a touching Julia, her devotion noble, without ever being too passive. Michael Marcus is charming, eloquent and amusing and doesn't come over as too silly and is never bland. Sarah McRae's Silvia is firey and passionate as well as alluring. All the supporting roles are very well taken and the man and his dog relationship (always one of the play's most believable relationships) is charming. The production doesn't overdo or underplay the comedy, the bawdiness not being too clownish, and the drama is poignant. The text never stops shining, especially the wordplay.
On the whole, very good. 8/10
