Shakespeare’s ultimate rom-com returns to the Globe in a new period-themed production under Sean Holmes’s vision. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show, to let us know if its situational humour actually fell out of place.
“Here lies Hero, A hero killed by slanderous tongues”. Oh, thanks for the compliment, darling – but it’s actually my tongue that’s made other succumb… I promise I was not aiming for any connotation other than the filth I spit on my readers’ eyes… Oh dear… Well, to be fair, there’s no shame in giving ourselves a good laugh (as long as I do it, it’s enough, so spare your bile…), especially if we’re talking about a comedy that’s overcome the pass of time so gracefully, unlike others (payback!).
As the spring season flaunts its last blooms towards the winds of summer, the giggles flourish around the Globe’s stage with the return of The Bard’s most universal comedy – bringing back the mischief and trouble (the toil comes in another installment) of its timeless plot, through a new set of lenses looking into both the past and present. A most intriguing story involving passion, mistrust, deception, and love above all, the wit and wisdom of its absurd recount continue to enthrall both our hearts and sense of humour, through an extremely engaging, and on top of it, hilarious portrayal of the human nature which, ruffled collars apart, remains as fresh and relatable as the first time it was performed (I’ll share my rejuvenating skincare techniques down below).
Put together under Sean Holmes’s guidance, the whole production exudes excellency in all of its traits – regaling us with astonishingly electrifying performances, delivered in perfect blend with a flawlessly crafted montage. With props and costumes by Grace Smarts, the entire rendition is a blazing explosion of colour and joy, boasting intricate designs that seamlessly mix historical accuracy with additional strokes of stylized fantasy – thus, rendering an enchanting canvas that smoothly transport us into the piece’s old-time setting, but without turning its back on the contemporary appeal it’s still able to project.
A similar feature can be found in Holmes’s directional viewpoint. Though preserving its faithfulness to the source material, his take on Shakespeare’s 400-year old work manages, nonetheless, to bring proximity to a nowadays audience with remarkable ease. The key may stem from its versatile combination of antagonic (yet spotlessly balanced) acting techniques. Using a hyperbolic choice as the conducting element in his approach, the renditions still draw out some small yet pivotal features of modern interpretation. In the end, it results in an exhilarating journey to a different era which anyhow seems close to the way we keep feeling and functioning – in other words, enhancing the time-proof universality of the piece.
Another mention is fairly deserved, rightly on its own, by the production’s exceptional score. Penned by Grant Olding, its ability to both drag us into the recount’s period, while also becoming a tool for pure entertainment by itself, is truly worth of every praise. Beautifully scented through a Sicilian-flavoured orchestration, its meandering between incidental excerpts and full musical number renditions represents one of the strongest contributions to the play’s success, emphasising every passage and emotion with superb capacity, while also serving as a much effective relief for absurd yet necessary amusement.
As for the cast, the full company, in general, pays an extraordinary tribute to The Bard’s legacy. Among them, Adam Wasworth gives a rather compelling portrayal as Claudio, putting on display an inherent comedy bone that endows his character with absolute sympathy. On the other hand, Ekow Quartey brings the house down with his extremely likable (and uproarious) performance as Benedick, while Ryan Donaldson oozes flair and magnetism in the part of Don Pedro. However, the highest compliment goes to John Lightbody as Leonato, giving an insanely charismatic interpretation enriched with astounding versatility in its register – subsequently, providing us with a few show stoppers of his entire doing.
We often hear that some things in life just never change, and neither should works that paint our personal essence with such vivid command. A loyal revival of an untouchable classic which still leaves its door open to a few shines of innovativeness, The Globe’s latest production of Much Ado About Nothing is genuinely the contrary – bringing thrills, chills and whole lot of cackles through a piece that, in many manners, does mean everything. It’s fun, introspective and powerful. It accomplishes sentiment and diversion. And it prints a lasting memory as indelible as the rush of cheerfulness you’ll be taken by while leaving the theatre. It’s noisy and nuts (but only the Spaniards will get that).
All pictures credit to Marc Brenner.
Much Ado About Nothing plays at London’s Shakespeare’s Globe until 24 August. Tickets are available on the following link.