Love in Shakespeare open-air play opens in Jesmond

Jul 28 2010 by Tamzin Lewis, The Journal

THE air might turn blue at the church green this week as TAMZIN LEWIS reveals.

NOT so long ago there were four pubs in Jesmond and you wouldn’t dream of getting your legs out to spend an evening on Osborne Road. Continental drinking was most definitely a ferry trip away.

Now there are a gazillian trendy drinking establishments and legs all over the place. And this week a pub will be opening for trade on St George’s Green.

It’s called the Shakespeare Arms and there are bar stools, hand pulls and a creaky inn sign depicting the bard.

But as I’m sure you’ve guessed, it’s all made of MDF and you won’t really be able pull a pint. The Shakespeare Arms is opening for theatrical business as touring company Heartbreak Productions have moved from their usual spot in Jesmond Dene to St George’s Green.

Their new play is Love in Shakespeare which runs in the open-air from today to Saturday.

Director Maddy Kerr jokes: “The pub is right beneath the church and some people might say that some of the language in the pub is not quite fitting for the church location!”

So how is the new Heartbreak location? They’ve moved while Pet’s Corner is rebuilt alongside a new visitor centre and cafe in Jesmond Dene.

“The Secret Garden has already been staged this summer on St George’s Green,” Maddy says. “The actors found it a very convivial place to play.”

Written by Phil Hemming, Love in Shakespeare serves a contemporary love story (set in the pub), with palatable bite-size portions of a selection of Shakespeare’s plays.

So how does this blend of text work on stage? “Magic,” Maddy replies. “There is a normal scene in the pub and then a magical device takes the dialogue into the Shakespeare.”