Much ado about nothing

Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy by William Shakespeare that was first performed in 1598 or 1599. The play is set in Messina and revolves around two romantic pairings that emerge when a group of soldiers arrive in the town. I was pleased to accept the invitation of Wildflower Actors Society in what was my first visit to Shakespeare for almost 20 years!

The society gave this classic play a modern uplift which made it accessible for the entire audience.

The large cast worked well together to create a great production that was full of laughs.

Throughout the play we follow the journey of two couples, Beatrice and Benedick and Hero and Claudio.

Beatrice and Benedick were played by Cata Lindegaard and Sion Owen. They had an excellent connection, taking us through the complexities of their relationship. The pair worked really well together and were very entertaining.

Sian Kirby gave a great performance as Hero. Sian’s portrayal was soft and charming as the maiden who falls in love with Claudio, played by Charlie McCollom Cartwright. Charlie had the perfect balance of comedy, anger and angst. He was very watchable and you could see the passion he had for Shakespeare shine through.

In her director’s note in the programme, Nuala Lomax placed emphasis on a strong ensemble cast to bring out the best in each other. I agree completely with this statement and there were excellent performances from Paul Malham (Antonio), Michael Morgan (Don Pedro), David Pain (Conrade), Laura Day (Ursula), Nial Glynn (Verges), Henry GS Griffiths (Oatcake/Sexton), Daniel De Gruchy (Messenger/Seacoal), Sara Wilsher (Friar Francis) and Cerys Morgan (Margaret) who should also be highly commended for her beautiful singing and guitar playing during the performance.

Trystan Davies brought real comedy to the role of Dogberry, leaving the audience in fits of laughter on occasion. Edward Lee gave a tremendous performance as Borachio. A performance full of energy and enthusiasm and a pleasure to watch.

With a cast this size it feels almost unfair to single out performances however I must heap heavy praise on Jed Sheahan (Don John) and Nick Elis (Leonato). Jed’s performance as the villainous Don John was superb. He was the perfect mix of slimy and funny and his interplay with the audience was excellent. He was very entertaining throughout.

Nick gave a brilliant portrayal of Hero’s father, Leonato. From the moment he entered the stage until the very end, the audience hung on his every word. Everything he did was delivered with superb energy and tone. This is the second time I’ve had the pleasure to watch Nick perform recently and he has been very impressive on both occasions.

Thank you Wildflower, for a great evening of theatre and for making Shakespeare for everyone. I look forward to visiting you again in future.

The views in this report are solely of the author.

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