The National Theatre's first ever production of All's Well That Ends Well opened on 28 May. The show is directed by Marianne Elliott with designs by Rae Smith, the creative team behind the smash-hit War Horse. Entry Pass reviewers Natalie Barker, Rory Hill, Vernon Nxumalo and Katie Hobson went along to check it out. Read their reviews below:

All's Well That Ends Well is perhaps one of the most unpopular of Shakespeare's plays and new performances and interpretations are few and far between. I had not seen a production before this and, having read the play for the first time a few weeks ago, I was not anticipating a great piece of theatre; the play lacks the breath-taking poetry and depth of plotting which characterises the best of Shakespeare. This play seems to demand elaborate costumes, an imaginative set, and an arsenal of special effects just to make it watchable. Where the storm in King Lear rages within the language of that play so there is no necessity to manifest it physically on stage, the language of All's Well fails to create such a rich visual and imaginative landscape and so relies upon a creative director to really flesh out the bare bones of this play in their interpretation.

Traditionally perceived to be a 'problem play', All's Well That Ends Well strikes an uneasy balance between women and men, youth and old age as the lowly Helena is married to the reluctant Bertram and then made to trick her way into his bed and his favour. Marianne Elliott's production is then fittingly problematic in raising more questions than it answers. This production is a lavish sensual treat with state-of-the-art digital backgrounds, sound-effects, baroque mirrored doors and a final curtain of petals which descends to the stage as Helena returns from supposed death. Beautiful as this production is, it failed to realise a guiding theme and instead presented numerous interesting concepts which did not cohere into an intelligible whole. Heavily influenced by fairy-tale narratives, the references to Little Red Riding Hood (Helena's red cape), Cinderella (her abandoned slipper) and Sleeping Beauty (the reposing courtiers) were intriguing but perhaps too obvious and superficial, only glancing at the parallels to be drawn rather than exploring them further. Equally disconcerting was the sudden switch from the prevailing atmosphere and costume of Nineteenth-century gothic before the interval to 1950s Technicolor immediately after. The two halves felt like two separate productions, both imaginative and stylish, but unrelated and discordant.

Michelle Terry brought dimensionality and spirit to Helena; her distress at Bertram's going to war was genuinely wrenching and dark and, in sobbing just as she is betrothed, we are made aware of the hurt that she is made to suffer as the only woman who is paired with a man in the play. George's Rainsford's Bertram is suitably shallow but lacks any intensity or energy in the portrayal. By turns wheedling and enraged, the Countess and the King are both domineering characters powerfully realised by Clare Higgins and Oliver Ford Davies. Conleth Hill gets most of the laughs as Parolles with Michael Thomas's Lafew a close second; the audience appreciating his brilliant comic tone.

Although the dark elements are drawn to the fore, this production succeeds in its comedy. The biggest laugh of the night came at the very end; Helena and Bertram are reunited, the disgraced Parolles is accepted back at court, and Diana freed of blame - the King turns to Diana and bids "choose thou thy husband". The irony is not lost on the audience who have witnessed all come to grief as a result of the very same injunction and who, ultimately, are loath to watch it all unfold again.

Natalie Barker

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Innovative direction, imaginative set and ingenious technical elements combined and integrated are what makes Marianne Elliot's adaptation of one of Shakespeare's problem plays, ‘Alls Well That Ends Well' a must see!

Rae Smith's design of a gothic castle with tall black spindly trees is not dissimilar from work associated with the Grim Brothers and emphasis the interpretation of this play being a twisted backward fairytale. This was also shown in Elliot's clever incorporation of well known fairy tale imagery in the first Act, as Helena left for the king in a red riding hoods cloak and left for Florence after Bertram leaving behind a pair of glittery shoes! Elliot's innovative use of freeze, slow mo and sequence topped off my moody lighting, projection and fairy like music gave this performance so much depth. Notable performances included Oliver Ford Davies as the King of France, Conleth Hill as Parolles and the focused and talented Ensemble. 

Lastly when the tragically determined Helena (Michelle Terry) is finally accepted in marriage by the pompous and selfish count, Bertram (George Rainsford) after carrying out a string of impossible tasks the audience are left to ask themselves did it really end happily ever after?
One which shouldn't be missed!

Rory Hill

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The plush surroundings of the National Theatre and the majesty of the gothic, yet grand and regal stage, were matched only by the generosity of a passionate, skilled and giving cast. Shakespeare's beautifully twisted story of unrequited love needs little explanation, for even the few who lack affection for the authors work, would struggle not to understand and appreciate this intelligent tale, told in a simple and enjoyable way.

Every cast member manages to embrace and become their characters role, no matter how big or small, and exhaust their effectiveness to the plot. Their collective performance was highlighted by the masterful Claire Higgins, who excelled as the Countess of Rossillion. The comic timing of Michael Thomas (Lafew), Brendan O'Hea (Lavatch) and Conleth Hill (Parolles), especially, were a also delight to behold.

Productions of such a scale, often face the danger of being too mechanical. However, the collective effort from actors, musicians and technicians, allowed this production to move as one being.
The movement, music, lighting and animation, were intrinsically synchronised, while the changes in pace and mood were extremely seamless and smooth.

From the get go you feel like you have been thrust into the world of make believe, to witness a fairy tale. The moments of joy make you howl with laughter, while the moments of pain and despair conjure up empathy without saddening you.
From the first word to the last letter, the plots highs and lows, and twists and turns, compel you to being spell bound.

Vernon Nxumalo

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Marianne Elliott has brought one of Shakespeare's lesser-known plays to life. All's Well That Ends Well follows feisty Helena's quest to secure Bertram, her newly snared husband. Despite comic moments and the couple's reconciliation at the finale, unease reigns. It is a play about gender, marriage and power and this latest revival leaves the audience in no doubt about the careless power of the King, performed by the formidable Oliver Ford Davies, Bertram's vanity, played with boyish immaturity by George Rainsford, and the women who suffer their actions.

These beleaguered women, however, are the ones who wield the power. Marvellous performances by Michelle Terry as Helena, and Clare Higgins as the Countess ignite the sexual potency and gender tension of the piece.

Treated as a dazzling fairytale, the play delights with designer Rae Smith's gothic turrets, moonlit woodland and opulent castles. As a cascade of petals falls from the ceiling and the projection of an owl twitters off into the moonlight, the production's enchantment over its audience is sealed. Yet the tension on stage, stunningly portrayed by the cast, keeps a sinister mood lurking in the shadows. The play's final image: Helena and Bertram grimacing before a fierce camera flash, makes clear that all is not well that ends well, but, as the King of France says, it merely ‘seems' so.  

Katie Hobson