Love’s Labour’s Lost at the Shakespeare North Playhouse Review

DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW

Reviewed by Elaine Hatch

On Tuesday 5th March 2025, I had the pleasure of going to watch Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost at the Shakespeare North Playhouse in Prescot, Merseyside.

Now, I’m not an avid Shakespeare fan or expert, but what caught my attention about this production is that it is set in Ibiza in the 1990’s and is accompanied by a soundtrack of music from that era, and I am a fan of Ibiza and (some) 1990’ music, so I was really looking forward to this.

My partner came with me, and he is even less of a Shakespeare fan, so we were both curious as to what the evening would deliver.

I needn’t have worried, from the moment the cast of eight came on stage, we literally didn’t stop smiling.

The original Love’s Labour’s Lost is one of Shakespeare’s comedies, essentially about the King and his three Lords trying (and failing) to have nothing to do with women and not fall in love. It portrays the trials and tribulations as they fail in their oath to abstain from women whilst they are studying and their attempts to try and win the hearts of the princess and her ladies.

This story very nicely translated to Ibiza in the 1990s. Ferdy and Yvette are due to be married and have each gone on their respective stag and hen do’s. The boys are off to Ibiza and the girls to Malaga, but a problem with the girls’ destination means they end up in the same resort as the boys.

What follows is a hilarious tale of attempts at romantic gestures, love letters and misunderstandings between each other, with the characters each hoping to woo the object of their desires.

The 1990s Ibiza setting really does bring Love’s Labour’s Lost (almost) up to date. Ibiza has, for decades, had a reputation as a hedonistic party island, and in the 1990s attracted big crowds who wanted to dance their way through their holiday at the big clubs with the superstar DJs.

The play very cleverly weaves references to this time in Ibiza party history into the Shakespeare script, and there is a thread throughout the play of the drug scene – with “herbal tablets” being available – and the result is some real laugh out loud moments.

But what really made this for me and my partner was the music and the dancing. The cast would burst into song at certain times throughout the play, often funny, and sometimes portraying the anguish of what it can be like to be in unrequited love.

There were many standout moments for me. “Hit Me Baby One More Time” by Armado was really funny and wonderfully done, and the Cher medley on the evening of the Fiesta was a high point.

There is even a Love’s Labour’s Lost Spotify Playlist (can be found on the theatre website), featuring all the music from the play, ranging from Meat Loaf, Blur, Spice Girls and Take That – a real eclectic mix!

We both loved Armado, played by David Kirkbride, with so many different aspects to the character. Ferdy, played by Timothy Adam Lucas has an amazing voice. But to be fair, the whole cast, some of whom played two characters during the performance, were phenomenal, energetic, and portrayed comedy and sensitivity throughout.

The play ends, as you would expect, with great music that had the whole audience joining in, and there was, quite rightly and well-deserved, a standing ovation at the end. A hugely enjoyable evening and didn’t stop smiling the whole way home!

The Shakespeare North Playhouse is a lovely theatre, built and styled as a traditional 470 seat timber framed Shakespearean theatre. It is easy to get to with a number of carparks within a 5–6-minute walk away and features a small restaurant and bar, gift shop.

Love’s Labour’s Lost (more or less) is adapted by Nick Lane and Elizabeth Godber and directed by Paul Robinson.

Rating: 5/5

Love’s Labour’s Lost is on until 22nd March with a number of access performances available on certain dates. There is an age guidance of 14+

Tickets prices range from £5 – £38 dependent on date/time of your visit and a number is accessible performances are also scheduled throughout the play’s run.

For more information, or to book tickets, visit: shakespearenorthplayhouse.co.uk

Shakespeare North Playhouse, Prospero Place, Prescot, L34 3AB