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Much Ado about Nothing
Belgrade Theatre
***** ODDSOCKS
Theatre has tackled
Much Ado seven times
in its 27 years of touring and, I must say, this is my kind of
Shakespeare; nothing but the pips. It is potted (and potty), hugely energetic,
‘lite’ and, if it starts getting pretentious, someone ’has a word’.
There is, to be fair, quite a bit of friction on stage. The central couple, Beatrice and Benedick
(Rebecca Little and Joseph Maudsley) sharpen their wits at each other’s
expense and, though neither relishes the thought of marriage, that’s
where they end up - with a little help from their friends. Soldiers and their retinue, Benedick, Count
Claudio (Ben Locke) Don Pedro and creepy brother Don John (both Gavin
Harrison) are newly returned (by chopper!) from the war and stay in
Messina in the house of Leonato (Andy Barrow) whose daughter Hero (Anna
Westlake) catches the eye of Claudio. Beatrice, Hero’s cousin, knows
Benedick of old: ‘Loves women but not relationships’. This company of
hard-working, versatile six actors also take the smaller parts and
Rebecca Little as Dogberry the sadistic Neighbourhood Watch chair is a
scream. Things go sour as baddie Don John gets bored. On
the night before the wedding, he tells Claudio that Hero has a secret
lover and he is to eavesdrop under her balcony where her maid Margaret
has been persuaded to impersonate Hero. Claudio decides to shame Hero at the wedding and
Hero appears to have died of shock. The accusation is finally seen as
the work of Don John and things proceed unhindered; though Leonato tells
Claudio that his penance is to marry his brother’s daughter unseen.
Happily, it is Hero unharmed and back to life. Did I mention music? There is some beautifully
corny, well-known music to speed the action – with those hard-working
actors as instrumentalists/singers too. ‘War, what is it good for?’
starts and ‘Love is all around us’ finishes off. I don’t remember laughing quite so much at
Shakespeare before; frankly, I was crying with laughter. There’s a
colossal amount of slapstick and, after 400 years of rolling in his
grave, I hope Shakespeare had a quiet night – he would approve. Jane Howard 21-06-16 Directed by Andy
Barrow, Much Ado runs to 22-06-16 at the Belgrade and then on national
tour, along with Oddsocks version of Macbeth, through the summer, with
further Midland dates at: Oakengates
Theatre, Telford -Macbeth, 29 June,
7.30pm,
Book Online
Tel: 01952 382382; Avoncroft Museum,
Bromsgrove - Much Ado, 10 July, 6.30pm,
Book Online
Tel: 01332 258328; mac, Birmingham
- Much Ado & Macbeth, 16 & 17 July, 7.30pm,
Book Online
Tel: 01214 463232; Nottingham Castle
- Macbeth & Much Ado, 22 & 23 July, 7pm,
Book Online
; Markeaton Park Craft Village, Derby
- Much Ado, 26 - 28 July, 7.30pm,
Book Online
Tel: 01332 255800; Mary Arden’s Farm
nr. Stratford-upon-Avon - Much
Ado & Macbeth, 29 & 30 July, 7.30pm,
Book Online
Tel: 01332 258328; Victoria Gardens,
Tewkesbury - Macbeth, 30 August,
7.30pm,
Book Online
Tel: 01684 295074
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