24 March
Formerly known as 2m Theatre, Albion is a theatre company that ‘emerged from the aftermath of Covid, seeking to rejuvenate the communal experiences lost during the pandemic.’ Their aim is to make Shakespeare accessible to the widest audience possible, and are best known for their outdoor performances, where there is no fourth wall and the line between performers and audience becomes blurred. Indoors at the Alma Theatre there were times when one felt that this was indeed a show best suited to the spaciousness and informality of an open air setting, for voices occasionally boomed a little too loudly and some of the action was rather cramped. This Much Ado features a radical change in both the setting and in the occupations of the characters. Here there are no gallant soldiers led by a Prince of Aragon, or Italian nobles seeking suitable husbands for their daughters. Instead, the action takes place in a gym, where the body-conscious characters are much given to taking selfies while posing amid the weights and benches.
A gym is an appropriate setting for the mating game, with characters eyeing each other up as potential partners, but inevitably all that Shakespeare had to say about the different worlds of soldiery and polite aristocratic society is lost. In its original form, Much Ado About Nothing has a cast of about twenty, and a performance would normally last well over two hours. Albion’s version is delivered by six actors with much doubling up of roles, and the show lasts a mere sixty-five minutes. The pace is therefore breathless, and those not previously acquainted with the play might well find some aspects of the story baffling. This particularly applies to those scenes involving Don John’s and Borrachio’s evil machinations. Their eventual discovery by Dogberry and his men of the night watch is given very little time indeed. Blink and you will miss them.
But the two key relationships, that of Claudio and Hero, and that of Benedick and Beatrice, are conveyed with admirable clarity. Gareth Balai successfully captures Claudio’s ultra romantic, impulsive and self-pitying nature. One moment he is Hero’s lovesick admirer, the next he is the self-righteous accuser of her supposed infidelity. I have always thought that Claudio is too quickly forgiven for being so easily duped into believing that Hero is unfaithful, and here his forgiveness comes very quickly indeed. Hero’s purity and innocence, while entirely admirable, does not mark her out as a particularly interesting character to play. Here, in an engaging performance, Laura Mead endows her with more assertiveness and vitality than is usual. Ryan Wilson is a very likeable Benedick whose supposed misogyny is clearly a pretence, and the scene where he is tricked into recognising his true feelings for Beatrice is a comic highlight. Emma Beth Jones is a splendidly forthright Beatrice, and the moment when she challenges Benedick to kill Claudio has real dramatic impact.
This Much Ado About Nothing is unashamedly ‘Shakespeare lite’, and it works very well as an introductory taster. It succeeds in conveying the idea that Shakespeare is accessible to all and, moreover, can be a lot of fun. Directed by Leo Graham, it is an attractive, dynamic show, with the cast performing choreographer Sara Maurizi’s workout dances with infectious energy. All in all, a very enjoyable high-speed romp through one of Shakespeare’s best-loved plays.
★★★☆☆ Mike Whitton, 25 March 2024
