Bated Breath presents Shakespeare, his wife and the dog a beautifully written play from Philip Whitchurch looking at Shakespeare less as artist more of a man. When Shakespeare returns from London wealthy and famous, he finds life at home with his wife, Anne Hathaway, is anything but perfect. Shakespeare, his wife and the dog is a fresh look at the famous wordsmith that we all know and love, exploring his flaws and weaknesses, and even how some of his most prolific works was created.
The casting of this piece is sublime, Philip Whitchurch as William and Sally Edwards as Anne are tour de force. Edwards is outstanding as Shakespeare long suffering wife, Anne. Her dry sense of humour and forgetfulness instantly brings this character to life. However as the play goes on, Edwards transforms Anne into this wonderfully rich character, full of remorse and hatred for what her husband has done to the family.
Whitchurch, who is an experienced Shakespearian actor, seems to thrive in this play, especially when he is reciting the dialogue from Shakespeare’s plays much to the audiences delight. These lines from the plays are interwoven in the dialogue very cleverly to the point in which almost every line feels like it could have been taken straight from a Shakespearian play.
Taking away the fact it is Shakespeare and his wife, this play also looks at how a couple deals with the loss of a child. Whitchurch and Edwards portrays this perfectly, showing a depth to both characters which is not often spoken about from Shakespeare and his wife. These moments are so beautifully acted, that the heart break seems to ripple through the audience creating a very touching and moving piece. Although this production can switch between moving and funny in a blink of an eye, sometimes the dialogue in between these moments fell slightly flat; however there were not many of these moments as straight away it was picked up again by the witty humour.
Overall, Shakespeare his wife and the dog is wonderful look at the writer and his life, full of references for the diehard Shakespearian fans, but not too many as to confuse the audience members who know nothing about the man. Although there are many productions about Shakespeare and his life, personally I feel this piece is a joyful and humorous look at his later years in which sometimes can be glossed over as it shows him as a man, not as the world’s most famous playwright. ★★★★☆ Georgina Randall 23rd November 2016
