Two Gentlemen of Verona coming to The Bank Theatre stage

Loyalty between friends versus submitting to passion, Shakespeare’s Two Gentlemen of Verona takes centre stage this June at The Bank Theatre in Leamington. 

Thought to be Shakespeare’s first play – at the very least his first comedy – serves as a precursor to the English playwright’s other early works which includes As You Like It and Twelfth Night.

Directed by self-confessed Shakespeare junkie Dean Valentino, this version of Two Gentlemen of Verona takes place in the 1950s and includes a live four-piece band, choreographed dance by Jennifer Fatallah, and even an adorable dog named Charlie.

“One gets a little bit of everything with this show,” said Chair of the Theatre Committee Corey Robertson. “This production is sure to be fun, and though modern, gives Shakespeare fans a reason to attend.”

The play features two friends, Proteus and Valentine, making their way from Verona to the streets of Milan. Both fall in love with the Duke of Milan’s daughter, Silvia, with Proteus betraying his girlfriend at home. Conflict ensues, with an eventual resolution between the two travellers, while deep affections prevail in the end.

“Borrowed from an old Spanish tale, Two Gents is a fine example of Shakespeare working his themes of love, family, mistakes and reconciliation,” said the play’s director Valentino. 

He added, “Shakespeare’s stories are universal and offer stock and trade for every storyteller. Ours is a shorter version of the original as we’ve eliminated redundancies and have removed prejudices whenever possible.”

The production has a cast of 12, including leads Brett Hallick as Proteus, Julian David as Valentine, Maggie Marchenkowsky as Speed, Perla Pichardo as Launce, Shayla Hudson as Silvia, Avery Thomas as Julia and Dean Valentino as the Duke of Milan.

Two Gentlemen of Verona will have a two-weekend run at The Bank Theatre, on June 14, 15, 21 and 22 at 7:30 p.m. and June 16 and 23 at 2:00 p.m. 

Tickets are $15 per person plus tax and can be purchased online at banktheatre.com, at the box office on Thursdays through Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. or at the doors 30 minutes prior to the show.