Review: MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, National Theatre
Photo credit: Manuel Harlan
Arriving in style at the (thankfully) air conditioned Lyttelton theatre is a new production of Much Ado About Nothing featuring a brilliant ensemble cast and visually stunning set design that while, on the whole is entertaining, occasionally lacks a certain consistency that would elevate the piece into hilarity.
Anna Fleischle transports us to the beautiful hotel Messina with a set design that glides us through many different locations with ease and Evie Gurney's costume design helps us to keep track of the numerous characters with its consistent and pleasing colour palette. The wide expanse of the Italian Riviera has certainly been bought to the National Theatre. It makes you jealous of the characters getting to stay in this seemingly luxurious hotel!
But that's where the jealousy stops, for everyone quickly gets caught up in Shakespeare's tale of gossip and mistaken identity that wraps around itself many times over. It's for this reason that the story may be difficult to follow for some. The direction is quite hard to keep track of what is sincere and what is not if you aren't tuned in to the Shakespearean dialect. What can also add to the confusion is the slapstick comedy. While it is hilariously funny, it means you struggle to make a choice; turn off your critical mind and enjoy the funny, bumbling security team (led in perfect comic timing by David Flynn) or appreciate the Shakespearean complexity of the story. With this production, it is a struggle to do both without losing appreciation of one of these aspects.
It's for this reason that we left feeling a little confused, as if the show didn't know who it wanted to be performed for, is it a pure farcical comedy with pantomime jokes included, or an intellectual Shakespeare piece full the brim with misdirection? This National Theatre production is both, meaning that each aspect gets slightly lost in the other.
But where the direction is lacking, the performances still shine through, such as Ionna Kimbook and Eben Figueiredo's Hero and Claudio. What an adorable couple they make in this story. At first, unashamedly in love and then twisted by gossip and scandal. They are so easy to invest in emotionally on stage and serve the show well as the crux of the plot.
The other couple (and the headline act as far as the show's advertising is concerned) is played wonderfully by Katherine Parkinson (Beatrice) and John Hefferman (Benedick). Their comedy is perhaps the most apt for this show and it is delightful to watch them circle one another throughout the piece until their inevitable happy end.
While this production left us mildly lost in terms of whether or not it knows it's audience, it definitely left us with a smile on our face, and what's not to love? Any attempt at Shakespeare being made more accessible is something to celebrate!
*** Three stars
Reviewed by: Callum Wallace
Much Ado About Nothing plays at the National Theatre until 10 September, with tickets available here.
