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Wednesday September 7, 2022
Much Ado
Keen to get back to theatre outings, I got myself a Friday Rush ticket for this - and to be frank I had low expectations, but only because the plot is slight, I have seen it many times before, and it relies on being very wordily witty. After all, what can you do with Shakespeare?
Well - I soon found out. I don't usually warm towards changing the era and background to traditional productions for no reason (like Sweeney Todd in the 1940s - why? didn't add anything to it at all); however, this setting was an art deco Riviera hotel in the 1920s/30s, so the actual spectacle of the sets and costumes were splendid, and the updating of the music to a swing/jazz format with lots of dancing was brilliant (hey nonny no). There was a lot of pure slapstick comedy (not my favourite but very funny when well executed) which could be said to overshadow the bard's wonderful wordplay, but then again it also carried you through it, if you're less of a Shakespeare scholar. I guess my only reservation was a certain lack of chemistry between Beatrice and and Benedict - but that kind of thing either happens or not in my experience. [Maybe they were saving themselves for the evening performance!].
Overall a great afternoon. So glad I caught the final week.
Posted by Christina at 4:40 PM. Category: Art and Culture
