Janie Dee, who is the subject of our Big Interview this edition, waxed lyrical about her experience of playing at Shakespeare’s Globe. And quite right too for it is the type of place that prompts a poetical reaction. Is it because the ghosts of our heritage seem to lurk here? Or could it be the beauty of the building or the excellence of the players, the sheer inventiveness of the directors?
In truth it is all of these – for why else is a theatre auditorium packed half an hour before the start of the performance, with the audience laughing and joking with musicians, already having a laugh on stage, a buzz of real anticipation in the air?
Such was the scene at the end of July for director Jeremy Herrin’s celebrated Much Ado About Nothing. The players threw out their energy like handfuls of confetti – clearly enjoying themselves and relishing every word spoken. In turn, the audience (a mix of city types, American tourists, Japanese tourists and students) gathered up this gift of Shakespeare presented so contemporarily, so perfectly and so, well, hilariously.
The tale really is much ado about nothing – Claudio (Philip Cumbus) wants to marry Hero (Ony Uhiara) and tells his friend Benedick (Charles Edwards), who makes a hobby of trading insults with Beatrice (Eve Best). The envious Don John (Matthew Pidgeon) hatches a plot to scupper lovestruck Claudio’s plan by telling the world that Don Pedro (Ewan Stewart) is in love with Hero. At his wedding to Hero, Claudio reveals her supposed infidelity, prompting her to fake her death. Meanwhile, in the well-known sub-plot, Benedick and Beatrice are tricked into loving one another.
This is an accessible play with a great storyline, and deserves to be seen much more – possibly replacing A Midsummer Night’s Dream as the summer classic. Performed by this exemplary cast, Much Ado was laugh out loud funny.
If health and safety, and budgets allow, find the nearest theatre performing it. And next April, book into The Globe – your students will love it.
