Much Ado About Nothing

Much Ado About Nothing
Written by William Shakespeare
Performed by Exeter Little Theatre Company
At The Cygnet Theatre, Exeter on Friday 15 th March 2024

Directed by David Finlay
Stage Manager – Steve Bennelick

Much Ado About Nothing is one of the most popular of Shakespeare’s comedy plays but I have never seen it performed as it was by Exeter Little Theatre Company. Cleverly designed and directed by David Finlay, this production is set in the London borough of Messina in the 1990s and tells us the story of Leonata and her daughter Hero who live with Antonia (Leonata’s sister in this production) and Hero’s cousin, Beatrice.
The Cygnet Theatre provides an intimate venue for this production with the audience being close to the action and actors. The audience’s attention is immediately grabbed as the play begins, with the music of Cool Brittania and transported into the era of shell-suits, raves, light sticks and a nod to the brilliant sit-com Ab Fab.
Leonata, whose other persona could be Ab Fab’s Eddy, confidently enters, dressed in leopard skin leggings, fur coat, gorgeous fur hat and white plimsolls, she begins her dialogue. This actor’s performance showed light and shade throughout. Assured in her character and strongly emotive, she becomes angry and disgusted with her daughter, Hero, who is accused of being unfaithful. With clear diction and a cultured persona this was a delightful representation of a gender swapped role. If the RSC can do it in Taming of The Shrew! And it worked beautifully. As was her partner in crime and sister, Antonia (Eddy’s Patsy), continuously tipsy with a cigarette in her hand, this actor was hilarious the moment she entered on to the stage, from beginning to end.
Hero, gently and sweetly portrayed by this actor. She showed a realistic and lovely relationship with her fiery yet clever cousin, Beatrice and believable tearful collapse through shock and grief when, at her wedding, she is wrongly accused of an indiscretion by her beloved Count Claudio, her husband- to-be.
Beatrice, in blue trousers, blue fur coat, striped top and white plimsolls, is played by an actor with super stage presence. Continuously sparring with Benedick, whom she secretly adores, this performance is exceptional, from anger to despair especially in Act 4 Scene 1 (when Hero is wrongly accused at her wedding) and she and Benedick declare their love for each other. The hilarity and sarcasm she brought to the role deserves praise. As does the actor who portrays Benedick, having  scrambled around the audience whilst over hearing Don Pedro, Leonata and Claudio talking of Beatrice’s love and expressing such joy, ‘it must be requited’ was sparkling yet intense. These two were exceptional and very funny indeed throughout their ‘merry war’.
The Prince, Don Pedro, having defeated an enemy, visits Leonata’s home along with Count Claudio, Benedick and his men. Dressed in a green khaki jacket, white England football shirt, jeans, brown suede boots, bucket hat and blue sunglasses Don Pedro enters to the music of the 1990 England football sound track of ‘Vindaloo’ and the sound of loud drumming , this had the audience in stitches. With a northern accent and superb diction this was a clever and unique characterisation, amusing and playful at times and very enjoyable to watch. Claudio, whose emotions vary throughout the performance, complimented the other actors in his scenes, charmingly acted and then incensed, especially when he shows his anger at Leonata and Hero at the wedding ‘give not this rotten orange to your friend’ and his gentle penitence when he discovers the villainous Don John’s plot to spoil the wedding was a conspiracy with Borachio.

The resentful Don John is perfectly portrayed as a jealous, envious younger brother to Don Pedro. Only ever happy causing trouble for others and manipulating their emotions with lies ‘the lady is disloyal’ to Claudio, he literally jumps with happiness when disrupting the course of true love. Dressed mostly in black this actor was continually moody, pensive yet comical and just delightful in this role. Borachio made a credible and eager partner in crime, a believable performance along with Hero’s maid, Margaret who was simply delicious in the role.
The supporting roles of Conrade, another follower of Don John, and the local heads of police, the intrepid Dogberry and Verges are well acted as is George Seacoal, the night-watchman. Playing both Balthazar, a musician in Leonata’s household and Ursula, a friend of Hero and minor comic role is a stand-out actor who sings ‘by my troth, a good song’ ( Don Pedro ) and farcically. Friar Francis, a classically authentic and honest portrayal by this actor showing sincere compassion for Hero.

The set was sparse; a white bench situated centrally upstage with a lit ‘Bar Open’ sign above, a garden table and chairs set down stage left with a small ‘movable’ tree representing Leonatas’ garden. This was essential as it gave the cast room to move around. There were other stage props brought on and removed by the cast and a priceless addition of a ‘Kevin the teenager’, the boy/messenger who is irked at having to move chairs on and off stage. 
Production design ideas such as creating a rave/club style masked party instead of a masked ball worked ingeniously. Actors costumed in brightly coloured fake fur coats, hats, mini- skirts, cropped tops, shell suits, dresses, jeans, baseball caps and plimsolls, with accessories such as flashing glasses, glow sticks and light up necklaces added substance to the setting of this unique production and showed how Shakespeare can be brought into the 21 st Century, understood and be really good fun to watch by all.

Lighting was exceptional especially during the rave scenes and the dark mood of Hero’s Mausoleum with rectangular window gobos lighting the floor. The sound was expertly handled as a number of disco and 1990’s pop songs, Oasis, Robbie Williams and ‘Spice Up Your Life’ were used during scenes and needed to be closely monitored so dialogue was not missed. I was so impressed by the concept and ideas brought together by David Finlay and his attention to detail producing such an exceptional presentation. The cast never dropped a line and their handling of the Shakespearian dialogue was natural and totally believable with exceptional performances.

Huge congratulations to the cast, director and production team for a successful and modern creation of a Much Ado About Nothing!

Lyn Burgoyne
Noda Representative ( District 5, Mid and East Devon )

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