Globe stages Love’s Labour’s Lost as Shakespeare with Flamenco

Audiences at the Globe this summer are experiencing Shakespeare’s *Love’s Labour’s Lost* with a Spanish twist. The Southwark theatre’s production, directed by Indiana Lown-Collins, is officially billed as ‘Shakespeare with Flamenco’ on the Globe’s website. The play, which follows three Spanish noblemen who vow to renounce women before a princess arrives, has been reworked to include flamenco dance, castanets and Spanish accents throughout.

The adaptation replaces the original’s dense Latin wordplay with Spanish puns and quips. Scenes are punctuated by bursts of flamenco, with guitar music and rhythmic clapping used to build tension. A review in *Time Out London* noted that the production leans heavily into the Spanish theme, even incorporating modern pop references such as reworked lyrics from ‘Despacito’ and ‘Livin’ La Vida Loca’.

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Flamenco as a narrative device

Flamenco is not merely decorative in this production. It serves as a storytelling tool, bookending scenes and conveying emotion where dialogue might falter. The most striking example comes from Norah Lopez Holden, who plays the Princess. In one scene, her character’s reluctance to kill a deer is expressed through a full flamenco pasodoble, with Holden taking on the role of the matador. *Time Out London* described the moment as a highlight, praising Holden’s ability to command the stage.

The supporting cast also adapts to the Spanish setting. Andro Crespo’s portrayal of Armado, a fantastical Spaniard in the original text, fits more naturally within the production’s heightened aesthetic. Katy Stephens, as the schoolteacher Holofernes, delivers a comedic performance in polka-dot attire, though the review noted that some characters struggle to find their place amid the flamenco flourishes.

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A play notorious for its challenges

*Love’s Labour’s Lost* is rarely staged, in part because of its convoluted subplots and abrupt tonal shift in the final scene. Lown-Collins’ production does not attempt to soften this ending, which leaves audiences with a melancholic resolution. The director instead focuses on making the journey entertaining, even if the play’s structural issues remain unresolved.

The Globe’s decision to embrace flamenco reflects a broader trend of reinterpreting Shakespeare through cultural lenses. However, this production does not claim to resolve the play’s inherent difficulties. As *Time Out London* observed, the adaptation occasionally risks overwhelming the text, with some characters feeling lost in the spectacle. The review suggested that audiences should prioritise the visual and auditory experience over strict narrative coherence.

Why this matters in Southwark and beyond

The Globe’s production is one of several stagings of *Love’s Labour’s Lost* this summer, a rarity for a play often considered too challenging for modern audiences. Its presence in Southwark, a borough with a long theatrical history, reinforces the area’s role as a cultural hub. The Globe itself, as a reconstructed Elizabethan theatre, provides a fitting backdrop for experiments in Shakespearean performance.

While the production’s appeal may be strongest for those familiar with flamenco or Shakespeare, its bold approach could attract new audiences. The use of paper fans by spectators, as reported by *Time Out London*, also highlights the practical challenges of performing in an open-air theatre during London’s increasingly hot summers. The Globe has not announced whether it will provide fans for future performances.

No further adaptations of *Love’s Labour’s Lost* have been confirmed in London this year. The Globe’s production continues its run with no scheduled end date as of 15 July 2026.