Much Ado About Nothing

Much Ado About Nothing is Shakespeare’s funnest play and the one with themes that remain the most pertinent to contemporary courtship. At the best of times there are parties and flirting; at the worst of times there’s bro culture and slut-shaming. Bell Shakespeare’s production, directed by James Evans, does not shy away from the worst of times. 

Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy based around two love stories: the will-they-won’t-they romance between Beatrice and Benedick, and the love-at-first-sight romance between Hero and Claudio. Most productions of Much Ado About Nothing focus on the Beatrice and Benedick storyline – their story is funnier. However, in Evans’s version, the Hero-Claudio storyline shines brighter than it has been allowed to before.

Vivienne Awosoga, playing Hero, and Will McDonald, playing Claudio, steal the show. Their portrayal of their character’s naivety and overwhelming desire to experience a grand love story is spot on and never boring. McDonald embodies the boyishness of Claudio perfectly, while Awosoga is a breath of fresh air, embodying her character’s the anger and resentment at the way she is treated by the men in the play. The change in tone of the final wedding scene, which is filled with disappointment and anger from Hero, the fact that she doesn’t forgive Claudio for his accusations so easily, is a welcome departure from the normal happy ending. While Beatrice and Benedick finally admit their love for each other with no irony attached, standing centrestage, we couldn’t help looking away from them and focusing on Claudio desperately trying to win Hero’s forgiveness. It was a small detail but a welcome one.

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The decision to portray Don Pedro as the ultimate locker-room-talking bro was confusing at first but once the story kicked in, Danny Ball’s performance came together, giving us a whole new understanding of the text’s language and incessant sexual innuendos. Conversely, Benedick becomes sweet and somehow the least problematic of them all. Duncan Ragg’s portrayal was endearing and offered great comedic relief from the heavier scenes.

This production of Much Ado About Nothing is just as fun, silly and filled with snarky jokes, slapstick comedy and rom-com good times as one would want. The party scene was hilarious, Mandy Bishop as Dogberry just the right amount of absurd, and the moment Benedick and Beatrice are tricked into confessing their love for each other was, as is to be expected, a crowd favourite. The design by Pip Runciman was wonderful and all the small details in the costumes added to the charisma of the characters.

This production is fun, silly and entertaining, just as it should be, but its most commendable quality is the fact that it calls out the characters for what they truly are.