REVIEWS REVIEWS
Bringing understanding of Shakespeare to modern audiences and ideologies requires looking for something different in the direction of the play and Peter Luchinger, from the Bremer Shakespeare Company, achieved this with Much Ado About Nothing. He introduces humour through the use of courting rituals of chicken calls, or the characterisation of Borachio as Groucho Marxâ in his movement and looks. It displays the spectrum of human emotion and human nature in a light hearted manner, but this was simplistic in its portrayal of the characters and lacked depth. The reasons for choosing to reverse gender roles for Hero and Claudio were unclear and do not add extra dimensions to the play. Superbly effective was the musical accompaniment that contributed both to the anticipation of the actions and the haunting quality of the moods and Lou Simard should be commended for her outstanding performance.
Essentially a romantic play, with a dose of tragedy, the play sees first Hero (Will Thorp) and Claudio (Annette Ziellenbach) fall in love and then the sparring duo of Beatrice (Annette Ziellenbach) and Benedick (Ian Shaw). Hero and Claudio’s love was young and innocent whilst Beatrice and Benedick’s was mature, the latter being arranged without cupid’s assistance. There is an extra romantic alliance between Don Pedro (Ricky Fearon) and Leonata (Susanne Hohne), as a female matriarch replaces Leonardo. The courting scenes are humorous displayed through the courting rituals of roosters and hens, with the appropriate, accompanying sounds and actions. The high quality of the acting of Ricky Fearon and Susanne Hohne held the play together, particularly as they transformed their physical appearances and characters for the various roles that they acted. The weakness for the play must be with the difficulty to understand Claudio and Beatrice, played by Annette Ziellenbach, as the audience struggled to understand her pronunciation of English words, especially when she was required to be angry or speak quickly, losing the impact of her words.
Much Ado About Nothing allows you to enjoy a performance of Shakespeare, perhaps not outstanding, and with an adaptation that may not suit every audience. It is the first in a series of plays during the Bath Shakespeare Festival at the Bath Theatre Royal. © JG
“Much ado about Nothing” is in Bath on the 3rd of March until the 6th of March, 2004.
