Review of The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1983) by Larry W — 24 Apr 2010

It's amazing how good a bad play can look in capable hands. Gentlemen is widely known as Shakespeare's worst comedy, and it probably deserves that reputation. It is certainly, at best, his least memorable.

In fact, it's so mangled a mess that many scholars believe the surviving version may have been seriously corrupted at some point down the line--perhaps even largely re-written by a vastly inferior talent.

But BBC's production is surprisingly earnest and committed to the material, with lively, natural and engaging performances throughout.