Benedick is never getting married. Not ever. Read more …
‘All women shall pardon me, I will live a bachelor.’
Beatrice can’t even imagine a man she could fall in love with.
‘I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me.’
They might just be the perfect couple.
This brand new outdoor production of Shakespeare's joyous comedy places romantic misfits Benedick and Beatrice at the heart of a world populated by freaks and oddities; a Victorian travelling circus. And anything can and does happen when this theatrical cast of characters get together for a party.
Much Ado About Nothing fizzes with sparkling wit and romance. Although the path of true love certainly does not run smooth, as the lovers face obstacles both accidental and on purpose, it’s impossible not to be swept along by the original and best romcom.
This is done with a heart and soul that lends intelligence and weight to a smarty-pants liaison that goes beyond mere wisecracks for some very serious fun. For all its tangled webs they weave, they still manage to leave us laughing as they go.
Despite a world-class Beatrice in Nicole Cooper and a pretty fine Benedick in Adam Donaldson, it somehow struggles to make much of a case for itself or for the play.
A curiously conceived and imperfect Much Ado, then, but one with enough comic energy and dark skulduggery to keep a summer audience entertained.
No wings, but much desire here: the prospect of running away to the circus has never been so appealing. It teeters on being chaotic, but is all the more endearing for it.
Bard in the Botanics, Glasgow from Wednesday July 11, 2018, until Saturday July 28, 2018. More info: http://www.bardinthebotanics.co.uk
RSS feed of Theatre reviews