Much Ado About Nothing - Barnes Park - Review

Much Ado About Nothing
Theatre Space NE in Barnes Park
18th Aug 2017

Theatre Space NE's Plays in the Park have become the theatrical highlight of the summer in Sunderland, drawing crowds of intrepid adventurers out into the sunshine - and sometimes the rain - to experience the theatre in a different, more inclusive way. They traditionally stage three plays in three parks across the city - two Shakespeare and a family play, the latter usually written or adapted by a local writer. This year they offered Henry IV in Roker Park, Robin Hood in Mowbray Park and finally this week Much Ado About Nothing in Barnes Park. Sadly I couldn't make it to the first two productions, but survived the A19 trip from Hartlepool to Sunderland in time to catch their second performance of Much Ado.

Due to start at 6pm, the heavens naturally opened and poured out the contents of a large black cloud at 5.45pm. By the time we gathered at the Coach House Café for "curtain up" the clouds were departing and the last few drops of rain were giving way to sunshine. Clearly this was entirely due to the Gods taking pity on the actors as they sang a forlornly hopeful rendition of "Rain, rain go away".

The proceedings begin with the usual health and safety announcements - done in the style of a BBC announcer from the "magic black box", and then we are off. Transported to Italy after the end of a campaign of war (Italy was full of warring factions in the day - all the noble lords trying to pinch each others lands). Don Pedro (Steven Blackshaw) plays host to the returning heroes and his own brother Don John (Dale Jewitt) (nasty piece of work he is - full of scheming and sibling envy). Benedick (David McCarthy) wants to talk of war and daring deeds, but much to his disgust his friend Claudio (Luke Maddison) has seen the beautiful Hero (Eilidh Talman) and wants only to talk of love and marriage. Benedick thinks marriage is folly and swears he will die before he is wed. While Hero's cousin Beatrice (Corinne Kilvington) is scathing of men - and in particular Benedick - saying there is no man worth giving up her freedom for. She swears she would rather stay single as she is than marry an unworthy suitor.

Claudio, happy in love, plots with his friends to make Beatrice and Benedick fall in love, while Don John plots to undermine his brother Don Pedro by breaking up the marriage of  Claudio and Hero (it's all very devious and complicated!) From this ensues a wealth of comic and tragic misunderstandings. Lives are and happiness are threatened, fools and knaves are revealed, and well, if you want to know how it all turns out you shall have to get along to the park and join the adventurers!

As always it is difficult not to end up listing everyone when it comes to performances of note - but mention has to be made of Dale Jewitt who excels as both the superciliously conniving Don John and the self-important yet asinine Dogberry; David McCarthy is glorious as Benedick, and is surely the audience's favourite. David John Hopper as Leonato is transformed from a foppish sycophant in the first acts to a resolute, determined statesman in the final act, both persona's perfectly believable. Samantha Bell morphs from the tipsy maid, Margaret, to the jobsworth watchman Secole, and finally to an almost Julie Waltersesque performance as the elderly Friar.  She gets full marks for character hopping. Eilidh Talman is a beautiful and graceful heroine.

The best thing about Theatre Space NE's productions is that they don't take their Shakespeare too seriously - they are actively trying to make it accessible to everyone, so there is none of the grandiose pontification that in the past has been the mark of Shakespearean acting. Any pontificating is done very much tongue in cheek. They are not afraid to add in elements to make the play relevant and accessible to a modern audience, but do this without sacrificing the essence of the original. They add music and song. They interact with the audience, asides are generally addressed toward particular audience members. Eye contact is key - this is not an audience watching a play, this is an audience experiencing a play. There is no better way to experience Shakespeare in Sunderland!

Don't miss the last two chances to experience Plays in the Park this summer - Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th August, 6pm at Barnes Park. 

Denise Sparrowhawk