Much Ado About Nothing: The Verdict!

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Well, friends, on Monday night I had the great pleasure of going to the National Theatre to see their production of Much Ado About Nothing. It's one of my favorite Shakespeare plays, and probably my favorite comedy (though it sometimes rotates to second-favorite because of Twelfth Night); so I was optimistic about the performance from the get-go. Thankfully, the production lived up to (and exceeded!) my overall expectations. I was so pleased about it.

 

I admit that the casting was what caught my attention, initially. NT chose to cast two older actors (Zoe Wanamaker and Simon Russell Beale) to play the title roles of Beatrice and Benedick. Hands down, they were my favorite part of the performance. I had never seen Beale in anything before, but he endeared himself to me FOREVER in this role. He portrayed Benedick with wit, honesty and affection. Beale made that character so genuine and so real to me – by the play’s end, I could definitely see why Beatrice was in love with him. I was practically in love with him by that point.

For her part, Wanamaker (who I was most excited about seeing) was fantastic as Beatrice, making her just as smart-mouthed and strong as she’s written in the play. She also gave Beatrice a great vulnerability (per the past relationship with Benedick), and was able to alternate from being snarky to serious in a matter of seconds. When Beatrice comments that “Benedick gave his heart to [her] once, and [she] gave it back with interest”, it was so poignant. She was nearly in tears as she delivered those lines, and moments before she’d been joking with the Prince about how she’d never get married. It was beautifully done.

 

Basically, these two were one of the many reasons why I loved this production so much. Out of all the adaptations I’ve seen of Much Ado, they played the best Beatrice and Benedick I’ve ever seen. It was brilliant. They complimented each other so well.

 

I was also impressed by Leonato and Dogberry (played by Oliver Ford Davies and Mark Addy, respectively.) During the jilting of Hero, Davies was so emotionally invested in his performance that he literally turned bright red; you could also hear the tears in his voice as he raged at Hero and mourned the loss of her reputation (and his own, by proxy.) Davies impressively managed to pull off being simultaneously furious and heartbroken during that scene, and I loved him for it.

 

As far as Mark Addy goes, I was interested to see him in British theatre, for one thing, because the only other role I’ve seen him play is that of the dad on the sitcom ‘Still Standing’. Addy has fantastic comic timing, so when he came on as Dogberry, it was no surprise that I laughed myself sick during his scenes. Occasionally, the cadence of his voice as he spoke his lines reminded me of the ‘guard’ scene in Monty Python. (You know – “Guards, make sure the prince doesn't leave this room until I come and get him.” “Not to leave the room... even if you come and get him.”) Dogberry (and Verges) were one of my favorite parts of the show, and the audience couldn't get enough of them.

 

Okay, now we’re on to the one performance that I didn’t enjoy: Claudio. The actor who played Claudio (I don’t remember who) was just not doing anything for me. Yes, he was handsome, impulsive, and his acting wasn't terrible, but I just didn’t feel that there was much thought or emotion behind the acting (or yelling, as it were.) At one point, during the “burial” of Hero, Claudio was literally lying on top of Hero’s grave, sobbing dramatically and striking it with his fists and feet. It was supposed to have been moving or dramatic, I guess, but I was watching that scene and thinking “What the hell?! Stop that!” Claudio was the only actor that didn’t let me get fully invested in the play; all of his scenes just bored me and made me wonder when Beatrice and Benedick would be back onstage.

 

Moving past the acting itself - one of the coolest parts of the production was the staging. The only “real” set piece used was a framework with four walls made of vertical planks (so there were gaps between each piece of wood). This was placed on a turntable, and it was rotated to indicate scene changes. Otherwise, there was usually one major (a table, bed, pool, etc.) and a few minor props used during each scene. What I liked best about it (besides the simplicity and visibility the set provided) was that each prop was able to be used well; nothing just sat on stage uselessly. If it was on display, it got used. (Simon Russell Beale had a great moment because of this - he took a running leap into the onstage pool to hide while he was eavesdropping on the conversation between Don Pedro and Claudio.)

 

In the background behind the turntable, three “houses” were set up (with white stucco walls, and three open windows); they functioned as alleyways leading offstage, or as balconies for characters like the musicians. Everything about the set was natural and open. The costuming was simple. The lighting was simple (and natural, to simulate daylight or nighttime). Real musicians sang and played during the scenes at the ball and in the cathedral. NT did a wonderful job in making sure everything about the setting was accurate, down to every minute detail. Bells ringing in the cathedral had an echo.

 

...Right, so I could just keep singing the praises of the National Theatre, but you’ve probably realized just how much fun I had, and how talented the whole ensemble was. Our theatre teacher commented that this was likely the best theatre production we’d see all semester. Even if that’s true, I so don’t care. Everything about this adaptation lived up to the reputation of NT, and made me love Much Ado even more than I already did. Given the chance, I wouldn’t hesitate to go back.

 

*takes deep breath* Whew! Seeing Much Ado is about the most interesting thing I’ve done the past couple of days. Besides that, I’m basically trying not to catch the cold-flu hybrid that everyone else in my flat has. (It’s not working so well.) Next week, though, we're seeing a production of Mamet's Speed the Plow (with Kevin Spacey and Jeff Goldblum in the title roles), so I’m interested to see how that goes.