The Stage

Much Ado About Nothing

Published Thursday 23 June 2011 at 11:32 by Abigail Webber

Pray that the rain holds off this summer, because the Principal Theatre Company’s open-air production of Much Ado should not be missed.

Annabelle Brown (Beatrice) and Daniel Jennings (Benedick) in Much Ado About Nothing at Capel Manor, Enfield Photo: Anne-Marie Sanderson

Once again set in the beautiful grounds of Capel Manor, the show makes minimal use of sets and props, relying instead on lively acting and songs and music to create a convincing Elizabethan Messina - with a modern slant that encompasses the works of the Bee Gees.

The cast’s enthusiasm and enjoyment of this Shakespearean romcom are infectious, and the story is told with a warmth and affection that embraces and includes the audience. The subtle repartee between Beatrice and Benedick is nicely balanced with the more obvious, but equally amusing, humour of Dogberry and his team of incompetents, and a wealth of visual gags leads to some inspired comic moments.

Annabelle Brown is a striking Beatrice - confident, smart and yet capable of both tenderness and occasional vulnerability. Daniel Jennings’ Benedick is a powerful and attractive force, whose self-deprecating humour gives him warmth and appeal. Rachel Fletcher-Hudson is gentle and touching as Hero, and Andrew Hogben’s Claudio is convincingly hotheaded and contrite.

Leonato (John Canmore) and Don Pedro (David McKechnie) are portrayed with confidence and authority, and John Hastings is compelling as the bitter, moody Don John. The servants and the Watch (led by a raucous Alec Gray as Dogberry) revel in undermining their masters and mistresses, setting the tone for a production that sparkles and fizzes with energy and joy.