Love's Labours Lost is often treated like a problem child in the Shakespeare canon. It's a comedy with no marriages, a romance that refuses to resolve, and a play so obsessed with language tha the words themselves often become the main event. This play is performed far less frequently than Shakespeare's more familiar comedies, and it's even rarer to see it adapted into other forms.

This makes it a fascinating test case for Shakesfic. What does it mean to adapt a play that Shakespeare fandom itself seems hesitant to touch? In today's episode, I'm joined by Elizabeth Wright, whose PhD explores adapting Love's Labours Lost into a novel. We talk about why this play has such a reputation for being 'unadaptable', where adapters feel the strongest urge to intervene, and whether refusing to resolve the story might be the boldest - and most faithful - choice of all.