Two Gentlemen of Verona tackles matters of the mind and heart as directly as any later Shakespeare play; and its characters live quite as fully as any Viola, Rosalind, Orsino or Orlando.
The nature of true friendship was much debated in classical literature and this was widely reflected in the world of the English Renaissance. Inevitably the emphasis was strongly on friendship between men, though Shakespeare explored female friendship – and the intrusion into it of chaotic heterosexual passion – in the relationship between Helena and Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Lisa Kay is a commanding presence as the constant and clear-headed woman, and Jack Bannell portrays the inner turmoil of Valentine’s roller-coaster journey with charisma and assurance.
