Review: Shakespeare in Love – Crown Wharf Theatre

Forget Shakespeare in Love—everyone fell in love with Crown Wharf Theatre’s spectacular opening night.

The Crown Wharf Theatre project has been seven years in the making, but on Friday the 8th of November, the theatre welcomed paying patrons and supporters for the first performance of Shakespeare in Love. A Little Bit of Stone were invited along to see the production and check out the new theatre.

The Crown Wharf Theatre

For those who don’t know, the Crown Wharf Theatre is located at the far end of the Crown Wharf pub, with seating split into stalls, on the ground level, and a two row upper circle.

The theatre is fully accessible, with facilities for wheelchairs to enjoy Stone’s new theatre space.

The theatre from the get go has been designed as a multi use space, allowing for many variations of stage and seating combinations – including a cinema setup which we can’t wait to see.

Synopsis

From the Crown Wharf Theatre website:

Based on the Oscar-winning movie, we meet an up-and-coming Will Shakespeare.  Will has a new play…although he’s yet to write a word!  Suffering from an acute case of writer’s block, Will can’t even settle on a title for his new epic, Romeo and Ethel the Pirate’s Daughter.

As fate would have it, noblewoman, Viola De Lesseps longs to be an actor… unfortunately, women are forbidden to be on stage. Beholden to her parent’s (and the Queen’s) expectations, she disguises herself as a boy and auditions for Will’s play.

The chance encounter between the two becomes the inspiration for one of the greatest love stories ever told (with a much-improved title) – Romeo and Juliet.

The Review

Let’s cut to the chase—it was a bloody brilliant show! Professional, wonderfully performed, and a true testament to the dedication of the theatre’s army of volunteers who have worked tirelessly to give Stone a theatre that the whole town can be rightly proud of.

This production was staged by the Crown Wharf Theatre’s in-house production team, directed by the talented Harri Capernaros. The set design was simple yet incredibly effective, allowing the cast to make full use of the space. From dramatic entrances up the aisles to surprising appearances up in the circle, the actors embraced every corner of the theatre. For those heading to future shows, it’s worth sparing a thought for just how much movement this production involves—the cast’s step counts must be impressive during performance days!

The cast itself was made up of familiar faces—many names we regularly spot in the ALBOS comments section. To see these talented locals take centre stage was not just heartwarming, it was inspiring. Their performances were professional, full of charm, and they captured the spirit of Shakespeare in Love effortlessly. Stone and Staffordshire is clearly bursting with incredible talent, and this show was proof of that!

We’ve been to plenty of opening nights, but never one that was also the theatre’s first ever show! There’s a special kind of magic when a theatre debuts, and Crown Wharf Theatre captured that in every way. Kudos to the dedicated volunteers, both front of house and backstage, who ensured everything ran smoothly. From the friendly smiles greeting us at the door to the precision behind every scene change, it was evident that this theatre has been built not just of bricks and mortar but of passion, dedication, and community love.

Normally, we’d be plugging the theatre here, urging readers to buy tickets—but such has been the popularity of Crown Wharf Theatre that the entire run of Shakespeare in Love sold out, with the final ticket being snapped up on the day of the opening night! It’s a testament to just how eager people are to embrace this new community asset. – Find out about future shows at https://www.crownwharftheatre.org.uk/

At the end of the show, cast member and trustee Leo Capernaros addressed the audience, paying tribute to all those who worked so hard to give Stone this wonderful new theatre. He also shared that leading lady Cheryl Duke, who played Viola De Lesseps, had sustained an injury earlier in the week, meaning the team had to frantically re-jig elements of the show to accommodate. Despite this setback, the entire cast and crew adapted seamlessly—a true display of their professionalism and commitment.

Crown Wharf Theatre’s opening night has set a high bar. We were blown away by every aspect, from the outstanding performances to the warm and welcoming theatre experience. Here’s to many more showstopping nights in Stone’s fantastic Crown Wharf Theatre.