Lee Hall’s acclaimed adaptation of Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard’s romantic comedy Shakespeare In Love will end its run at the Noël Coward Theatre on 18 April.
Declan Donnellan’s production, which acquired new stars Orlando James and Eve Ponsonby in January, opened at the London venue in July 2014 with Tom Bateman and Lucy Briggs-Owen in the roles of William Shakespeare and Viola De Lesseps.
The show was described by Official London Theatre’s Matthew Amer as “A warm and witty love letter to the stage” and received a shower of four and five star reviews from critics including The Telegraph’s Charles Spencer, who called it “The best British comedy since One Man, Two Guvnors”.
Based on the 1998 film starring Joseph Fiennes and Gwyneth Paltrow, Shakespeare In Love tells the heart-warming story of the great playwright as he struggles with writer’s block. The deadline for his new play is fast approaching and as he desperately searches for inspiration his muse arrives in the form of Viola. Against a bustling background of mistaken identity, ruthless scheming and backstage theatrics, Will’s love for Viola blossoms and inspires him to write his greatest masterpiece.
James and Ponsonby lead a 28-strong cast that includes Nicholas Asbury, Neal Barry, Richard Bremmer, Paul Brennen, Suzanne Burden, Ryan Donaldson, Edward Franklin and one particularly popular four-legged performer, Barney, in the role of Spot the Dog.
Tickets for the remaining months of performances can be booked through us. The show that will follow Shakespeare In Love into the venue is still to be announced.