The Herbal Bed at The Royal & Derngate Theatre Review
The Herbal Bed
Royal & Derngate, Northampton
5-27 February 2016
Reviewed by Deb Narciso
A co-production by The Royal & Derngate, English Touring Theatre and Rose Theatre Kingston.
The Royal & Derngate is favourite venue for me as it is easy to park and it is housed in a clean modern building which is purpose built as a theatre venue. It has two theatres, the modern multipurpose and fully adaptable Derngate and the old traditional Victorian playhouse The Royal. The staff at the venue are always polite and friendly, and tonight was no exception.
This production was in The Royal and we had comfortable seats mid-row in the stalls. There is a full bar available and you are able to take in your drink providing it is in a non breakable glass. The Wicked Way cafe on site offers a range of snacks for pre-theatre, including Pieminister pies. This offers good value for money. On this occasion we opted to eat out in a local restaurant, one of several in the area that offers a speedy pre-dinner service for those coming straight from work.
The Herbal Bed – subtitled the secret life of Shakespeare’s daughter, is an emotional thriller based on real life events in the Summer of 1613 in Stratford-upon-Avon. A timely piece as this year is the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death.
Shakespeare’s daughter is accused of having an affair with her neighbour. Her husband chooses to stand by her and sue her slanderer. Their lives come under public scrutiny in this uplifting and emotional play with a surprising touch of comedy to lighten the seriousness of the situation.
This is a really well produced piece of theatre. The staging portrays the herbal garden of a Jacobean doctor and was simple enough to not get in the way of the superb acting. The characters were emotional and believable in every sense. A large range of emotions were called for in this piece and I felt for the agonies of the characters as the plot unfolded. I found myself on the edge of my seat as Goche holds session of the Ecclesiastical court. What will he ask of the maid? And how will she answer?
Earlier the drunken antics of Jack Lane brought cries of laughter from the audience however as he falls from grace the drunken antics take a much darker tone. Matt Whitchurch delivered this role with a brash, smug style exactly suiting a ‘lout’ of his time. Emma Lowndes, as the accused wife, delivers an accomplished and composed performance through the rollercoaster of emotions. The rest of the cast each have their moments which enrich this whole production.
This play was excellent and I would really recommend it.
Rating: 5/5 
Tickets cost from £10 to £29 (booking fees may apply).
The Herbal Bed is at the Royal & Derngate in Northampton until 27 February 2016. For more information or to book tickets click here or call the box office on 01604 624811.
Royal & Derngate, Guildhall Road, Northampton, NN1 1DP | 01604 624811
