THEATRE REVIEW

JULY 2025 | Volume 253

 

Neither of the two plays in Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival’s small tent this summer are by Shakespeare. In theory I don’t approve. In practice I found one of these plays a hilarious delight, the most enjoyable Bard production since the Beatles’ As You Like It, the other a semi-successful attempt at Shakespearian revisionism.

In The Dark Lady playwright Jessica B. Hill imagines that Emilia Bassano—the first woman to have a volume of poetry published in English in her lifetime—was in fact the “dark lady” of Shakespeare’s sonnets. More than that, Hill imagines a personal and professional liaison between them, carried on in contemporary English speech.

Not only do they have an affair and a child, but Emilia critiques, inspires and edits Shakespeare’s plays. A musical genius who speaks six languages, she gives Shakespeare her translation of Bocaccio from the Italian. “Write me a woman who fights for what she wants,” Emilia tells him, and the young playwright who can’t write credible women gives birth to Juliet, Rosalind and more under her influence.

Emilia wants to be a writer as well, not just a muse. But her idealist feminism is dangerous: rewriting the bible from a woman’s perspective may land her in the Tower. She says she wants to change the world with her poetry, but most of all she wants it published in a book. Sorry, says Shakespeare, women don’t publish. Despite the passion of their affair, Shakespeare is basically a conservative pragmatist. “You’re so conventional,” she tells him. He responds: “What a fucking failure your life is!” Ouch.

Emilia gives Shakespeare her help but when she needs his, it’s not forthcoming. His loyalty is to his real mistress, his writing. So she comes off as a tragic heroine.He comes off as a dick.

Since we know what Shakespeare’s selfishness produced, her story—the plight of talented, ambitious women in the 17th century—will inevitably be overshadowed, especially since she is a relatively unknown historical character and this story is a speculative fiction. Despite all that, the production itself is entertaining and, in places, enthralling.

Arghavan Jenati is a powerful, passionate Emilia filled to bursting with energy, ideas, ambition and frustration. Nathan Kay’s skinny, somewhat nerdy Shakespeare manages not to be completely overwhelmed by her, and the two have good chemistry. Director Moya O’Connell presents their relationship as a dance in which each takes a turn leading. But in the end Will dances off into the sunset, Emilia into oblivion.

 

 

get in touch with vancouverplays:

EMAIL US

SUBMIT LISTINGS

 SUBMIT PREVIEW

 ADVERTISE WITH US