REVIEW: All’s Well That Ends at the Baron Court Theatre, 17th - 21st October 2023



‘fantastically cast and beautifully set’ ★★★★

‘‘I promise to forget you’’

Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well has been coined a ‘Problem Play’, and there are many factors that contribute to this, one being that the ending and conclusion to the plot fails to satisfy the audience. Andrea Tănase’s All’s Well That Ends, directed at the Barons Court Theatre by Leo Bacica, though not a retelling, also explores the complex psychology of marriage with two characters that struggle to find that satisfactory ending.

The scene is perfectly set for this show. The audience is led downstairs into the cavern-style theatre. The whole space is intimate and for me unusual, the audience closely packed at the front, the left and the right of the stage. This hidden and personal setting instantly sets the scene for the audience being witness to something mysterious and secretive, something we shouldn’t be seeing. Daria (Nicoleta Marica) and Radu (Gerardo Cabal) - dressed in celebratory outfits and drinking champagne - engage with the audience in a way that lends itself to the layout of the stage, ABBA welcoming the rest of us in.

We are watching something we shouldn’t be, and we are asked “are you ready?” before the play commences. Simultaneously, then, the audience play themselves and attendees to this unusual “divorce party”, watching the couple pick apart their life together - this is an example of engaging the audience, having them play an actual role, a relationship with the physical theatre that I thought worked exceptionally well.

The play tackles courage as a central theme, exploring how one should not be afraid of being alone and admitting that they no longer wish to be with their partner. An interesting exploration of this theme was a section where Radu frets at their names not matching, or sounding good together, a good example of whether one should follow or reject what they see to be sealed by fate. The play's repeated phrase “and now what” after every major event reflects the indecisive and fearful nature of the couple.

Infertility is also referred to, although I was unsure as to whether this was the primary cause of their unhappy relationship. It is referred to a lot but amongst other factors, and it was unclear to me as to how important it was in their relationship. When it is referred to, it is often used as something that silences an argument or slows dialogue exchange, on more than one occasion, and this becomes fairly predictable.

However, the play develops wonderfully as we watch Daria and Radu, despite them wanting to separate, place trust in each other to be honest. Their final promises listed off at the end resolve any concerns that this play may end as problematically as Shakespeare’s, letting us divorce party-goers relax slightly at the end.

Fantastically cast and beautifully set, All’s Well That Ends shows at the Barons Court Theatre from 17th - 21st October.

Box Office https://www.baronscourttheatre.com/uk-premiere-of-all-s-well-that-ends-by-andreea-t%C4%83nase

Written by Andrea Tănase

Directed by Leo Bacica

Reviewed by Seb Gardiner:

Seb is a playwright living and working between London, Oxford, and Manchester. He

has written five plays, the most recent of which was performed in Manchester with the

Peripeteia Theatre Company over August and September 2022.