More Ado About Nothing review – riot of power romcom | Theater

THis beautiful, simple production of Shakespeare’s crisis drama has all the hallmarks of a guaranteed summer blockbuster. The tentative flirtation and language differences between singletons known as Beatrice (Pippa Nixon) and Benedick (Ken Nwosu) are filled with romcom energy. Funny listening that keeps them hooked on silly fun. The music and dancing are simply beautiful; so are clothes with a warm palette of pink, light gray and lemon. Even Dogberry (Richard Katz, amazingly wonderful) and his band of vigilantes make a big mess of the events that made the play so successful.

The production, directed by Chelsea Walker, is a good riot, big on humor, beautiful in sound and optics, able to move the atmosphere, often with the help of an excellent live band (distractions like drums and nervous violins).

There are scenes that reflect the joy and romance of the play as Don Pedro (Adam Long) and his soldiers return to Messina from the war, and Claudio (Joshua John) quickly falls for Leonato’s daughter, Hero (Assa Kanouté), bringing a dark twist to their broken marriage.

But it is not really necessary to lean on the complexities of the game. The animal masks of Act II’s ball reminds us of who we are Jamie Lloyd’s West End production and point to the world of dark legends. They have an undercurrent of emotion – so Hero takes on a sheep’s head that captures the idea of ​​a lamb (he’s going to kill his marriage) while the sharp-tongued and sharp-eyed Beatrice wears the head of an eagle. But the meaning of this is brief and the darkness fades in the face of many pleasures and dust.

The cast is world-class, especially Nixon as the witty and single Beatrice. He makes his part very angry with Benedick but still plays it. Nwosu is a soft-spoken Benedick with great timing, flexing his lines and sides. There is definitely chemistry between them but there is a lack of sting and tension in their feud.

There is an interesting chemistry between Don Pedro’s brother, Don John (Joseph Potter) and his friend, Borachio (Marlowe Chan-Reeves) too, with a kiss that comes out of nowhere, just like the kiss between Beatrice and the messenger at the beginning of the play. They express sexual attraction but it feels random – a stale idea rather than a fresh take on an old story.

The canceled wedding started with a powerful moment involving Hero’s embarrassment, which included their multi-layered wedding cake. Kanouté gives a strong performance as the ideal bride who is affected by Claudio’s accusations against her. But the event does not reach the critical, potentially dangerous territory. And it seems to have been canceled three times. You don’t feel Beatrice’s anger at Claudio (“Oh, if I were a man …”) or Hero’s pain, and does she take Claudio back in their (hidden) reunion with a big hug?

It is a modern world and its modernity hangs in the air, not our time in its words about false accusations about women and pornographic material. But in its charms it excels: an obscure crowd pleaser, worth seeing.