The Stage

Much Ado About Nothing

Published Monday 22 May 2006 at 15:15 by Peta David

Director Marianne Elliott gives us a punchy and raunchy tale of the good, the bad and the truly wicked all found in abundance in this comedy.

Tamsin Greig plays Beatrice as a delightful Diva, complete with black sunglasses, head scarf and plenty of attitude. She exudes chic confidence and has a perfected apathy towards men and yet she longs for a lover. Joseph Millson as Benedick meets his match when he unwittingly pursues Beatrice under the impression that she is love with him. She too is led to believe that Benedick is in love with her. And so it goes on in a typical Shakespearian ruse.

Hero played with girlish goodness by Morven Christie is the complete antithesis to Greig’s Beatice. They make an unlikely combination. The boys on the other hand are less dramatic in their characterisation and even though we are desperately caught up in Benedick’s torment over the sultry Beatrice she still looks like she could eat him for breakfast.

Don Pedro and Count Claudio are played respectively by Patrick Robinson and Adam Rayner and with Nicholas Day as Hero’s father Lenato they all give excellent performances. As does Bette Bourne as the hilarious Dogberry never quite grasping what is going on and full of self importance. Set against the unusual backdrop of Cuba during the 1950s, the distinctive fashion of the period and the Cuban music makes for a very entertaining and enjoyable evening.

Watch out for the walking rubber tree plant, I think the Bard would have approved.