“The triumph lies in the restoration of an unforgivably neglected

play.”
Michael Billington, The Guardian

All's Well That Ends Well is seldom performed and has been dubbed a 'problem play'. But as Gregory Doran, the director of the current production says, "If love is still relevant, then this play is still relevant." Shakespeare has woven elements from fairy tales and folk stories in a story about the painful nature of love, the sadness of age, the folly of youth and the road to self-awareness.

Doran’s production opened at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-Upon-Avon in December 2003 to often ecstatic reviews and marked the long-awaited return of Judi Dench to the RSC in Stratford.

This Play Guide is a profile of the production, in which you can read interviews with the director, designers and members of the cast, learn more about the rehearsal process, view photographs from past productions and find out more about the play.

The Guide is divided into sections:

'About the play' contains a synopsis, stage history and illustrated

who’s who

'The current production' contains interviews with the director, actors

and designers

'For students' illustrates the ways directors, critics and designers

have interpreted the play in the past

'For teachers' has practical exercises to use in the classroom. It also

contains sections about the bed trick and a discussion of All's Well as

a problem play.

'More about Shakespeare' gives details of the playwright’s life and

times and a chronological list of his plays

'More about the RSC' takes you behind the scenes in

Stratford-Upon-Avon

Credits