The most hardhearted purists would melt at Filter’s 90-minute reworking of this play, directed with passion, panache and precision by Sean Holmes. For newcomers to Shakespeare, I can’t think of a better introduction. The music is ferocious, fiery and funny: at times, it makes the Stones look like a group of genteel clergymen. This is not a send-up: it’s a celebration - mad, wild, loving and hilarious. Nor is it just the play: it’s also about the play, its madness, its melancholy, its ironical but warm-hearted take on love and life. The music, too, is about storytelling and the expression of feelings. Filter shows you Shakespeare’s openness to rejuvenation, to new music for the lyrics of text. Holmes and his actors come to him like boisterous but respectful guests who know that they are visiting a master of comedy: sweet Master Shakespeare.

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