On entering the arena, the audience is greeted by a lushly decorated stage, swathed in green climbers and grass. The cast of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing is busily preparing for a party and the period, judging by the costumes is mid 1940s, writes Elizabeth Carlin.
Into this merry scene, through the groundlings, struggles a blood-stained soldier, announcing the imminent arrival, fresh from battle, of Don Pedro, Duke of Milan, his companions Claudio and Benedick, and his bastard brother. Mistress of the villa, Countessa Leonata, her sister Antonia, Hero and Beatrice are delighted by the news and overjoyed to receive this boisterous, testosterone-fuelled addition to their midst. They bring with them, the strong male bond, fostered in combat, which goes some way to explain why Hero’s defamation is so easily believed.
On arrival, Don Pedro is welcomed, Claudio is struck in the heart by Hero, Beatrice and Benedick continue their verbal sparring and a feast and masked ball are set up. John the bastard hatches a plan; excluded from the happy band of brothers he schemes to take his revenge on Claudio and the crazy plot is underway.
Set in the lush haven of the neatly tended garden, the play turns and twists energetically between moods, from high comedy to tragedy, from farce to celebration. The whole is accompanied by the playing of accordions, which is a little intrusive at times but wittily called for in the text.
The performances are strong from all the cast members and physically taxing. Everything taken at a run. Except, very effectively, when it’s not, as in the slow motion dinner set beside Don John‘s (Oliver Huband) plotting with his henchmen Conrade (Peter Bourke) and Boracio (ably played by the stand-in for Ciaran O’Brien, despite having to resort to a script at times, for which he earned a roar of approval from the crowd). Hard to sympathise with Claudio, but his night of grieving by Hero’s supposed grave was moving.
There is nice directorial detail from Lucy Bailey, too, as when Beatrice is handing out oranges during the preparations for the party, foreshadowing the later comparison of Hero to a rotten orange.
The high points are the verbal fencing between Beatrice (Lucy Phelps) and Benedick (Ralph Davis) and a hilarious performance by George Fouracres as Dogberry, assisted by his motley crew of watchmen. These are gifts of parts of course and all three actors rose to the occasion.
In the midst of all the fun and action, the play includes much sense about marriage and relations between men and women and so, as well as laughter, of which there is plenty, wry smiles are also provoked and although the public humiliation of Hero in the wedding scene – extremely well acted by all the company – is hard to forgive, Benedick’s transformation distracts us and makes the resolution more tolerable, particularly as everyone seems so delighted!
Lucy Bailey and designer Joanna Parker have set a high standard in this first production of the summer season and provided an enjoyable and lively start. The happy, joyous ending was never in doubt.
Globe Theatre, Bankside, SE1 until October 23rd. Times: Varied, see website for full details.
Admission: £5 – £62.
www.shakespearesglobe.com