The play was entirely unfamiliar to me. I started with a perusal of the Essential Shakespeare Handbook (see 5/2/2020 post) to get some background. Not being exposed to LLL is common, apparently; the Handbook notes that "[readers] new to Shakespeare rarely begin with this play, mainly because so many other plays in the Bard's canon are more familiar." Armed with an introduction, it was time to settle in for a few hours.
As noted in the Handbook, LLL requires a strong company performance due to its lack of traditional leading roles. The Stratford production had that! Many members of the cast had performed in Hamlet that season, so I had seen them before. In LLL, they meshed beautifully, important for the debates and wordplay that fill the script. Mike Shara as Berowne was notable as the ringleader of the suitors. He had portrayed Laertes in Hamlet, and I had seen him off stage as well. (See 8/16/2015 post.) Tom Rooney as Holofernes elicited laughs with his atrocious Latin and menorah hat. Juan Chioran's Armado was equal with his over-the-top Spanish accent and plethora of rolled r's. Gabriel Long as Moth, however, stole every scene in which he played. It was wonderful to see a young actor consistently upstage his fellow, older cast mates.
The play itself was exceedingly enjoyable. I'm not as well-versed in Shakespeare's comedies, having seen only a few either live or recorded. The banter in this one is witty, humorous, and keeps the audience (live and at home) engaged. The ending of the play, which brings a downbeat to the uplifting comedy, is curious. The Handbook notes that originally there was to have been a sequel, Love's Labour's Won, but it has not survived. Fortunately this one has, and it will stay in my collection for a future re-viewing.
