'All's Well That Ends Well' at The National Theatre

Verily, I prithee, twas fab, o yes, twas fab. As part of my I-must-see-more-Shakespeare hobby, we went to see 'All's Well That Ends Well' at the National Theatre, a play I've never seen or read, so it was nice and fresh.

As soon as I walked into the Olivier I knew I'd be entranced - the set said it all. This would be a magical experience, with towering castle turrets surmounted by weedy trees, golden doors, mist and atmosphere a-plenty, not to mention the giant beetles crawling over the projected background (that later turned into wolves and a blinking owl). I was immediately reminded of the Gormenghast world created by Mervyn Peake (the books, not the TV series), the gothic wierdness perfectly suiting the play. The National Theatre should sell postcards of the sets and performances - I'd buy some of this production. It was gorgeously designed and lit, the king's crown sparkling like a disco ball, the stylised costumes, the minimal props set off my the elaborate sets. I kept my eyes open for the next subtle change in the magical world on the stage.

The queen of the play was Michelle Terry as Helena, the lowly doctor's daughter who dares to fall in love with a young count. She gave a great performance at the centre of the play and had great sparkly shoes for the wedding scene. But, as ever with Mr Shakespeare, I yearn for a bit more morality - Helena is such a strong character yet she does the usual thing of forgiving the count for his atrocious behaviour towards her as soon as he smiles at the end (and so does everyone else). She should kick him in the groin and walk off, obnoxious twat that he is.

If you've never seen 'All's Well' then I'd recommend this production, which is really excellent. Just don't go on a night when there's a tube strike - getting home afterwards is a bit of a pain!