Shakespeare's chaotic bros-before-hoes test goes spectacularly wrong in a forest.
Valentine and Proteus are best friends until they fall in love with the same girl. Having travelled to Milan in search of adventure, they both fall for the Duke's daughter Silvia. But Proteus is already sworn to his sweetheart Julia at home in Verona, and the Duke thinks Valentine is not good enough for his Silvia. With friendship forgotten, the rivals' affections quickly get out of hand as the four young lovers find themselves on a wild chase through the woods, confused by mistaken identity and threatened by fierce outlaws before they find a path to reconciliation.
Acting
Pearl Chanda's Julia in drag is the MVP — everyone else is trash, intentionally.
Direction
Godwin leans into the absurdity; this production knows it's ridiculous.
Costume
Modern-ish Milan looks sharp; the outlaws' aesthetic is unexpectedly camp.
Director
Simon Godwin
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This is widely considered Shakespeare's weakest play; the RSC's 2015 production essentially admitted it by playing for deliberate laughs.
Crab the dog steals every scene — the actor received separate billing and reportedly more rehearsal notes than some humans.
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