MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING - Theatre Royal Drury Lane (20/02/25)

After a couple of, to put it politely, lacklustre Shakespearean productions, director Jamie Lloyd with his staging of "Much Ado About Nothing" seems to have found the winning formula at last, combining the colourful vibrancy of the visuals with a delicious lineup of huge talent, finally given the freedom to express themselves fully, to create one of the most enjoyable performances of Shakespeare’s work I’ve seen in a long time. This early period comedy is a delightfully endearing, witty piece of theatre, whose plot tropes have been recreated in various guises throughout the centuries, and in this production, Lloyd has proven his critics wrong by displaying an innate clarity of delivery and embellishment of the material.

A clear creative vision is established in this production, as rather than the bland, dull and dreary to which we have become accustomed, we are instead greeted by a stage adorned with a carpet of garishly pink confetti, which we soon discover is a constant, as this covers the entirety of the Theatre Royal’s enormous stage, and falls from the ceiling more or less constantly throughout. This is a multifunctional design element, often used to delightful comic effect, especially in the act 1 scene during which Benedick attempts to evade detection, whilst Don Pedro and his men try to ensnare he and Beatrice into being “match-made” by trying to make him overhear their conversation about him.

Hayley Atwell and the cast of Much Ado About Nothing (credit: Marc Brenner)

The setting itself, in terms of date and location, is pretty ambiguous, feeling more like something between a sybaritic space age vacation and a TikTok filter come to life, with plenty of indulgence and just a touch of the wacky, particularly during the masquerade ball. And whilst what we see in terms of the set, props and lighting is far more vivid and full of life than what we've seen before, it’s Ben and Max Ringham who in particular are notable unsung heroes, their sound design and music compositions have us fully energised before the show has even begun, and the use of well known pop music interspersed at various points gives us a welcome degree of familiarity, further energising the play and ensuring there’s never a dip.

The comedy plays of Shakespeare can often be a massively acquired taste, as there is always a huge challenge in conveying the original text, whilst still having its humour successfully manifest itself, and in ticking both of these boxes, director Lloyd deserves a huge amount of credit. However it was the performances of its phenomenally gifted cast who give this show such vivacity and humour; the text is always delivered with such a distinct sense of freedom and wit, and we the audience are always in on the joke, which is always a major positive in this very particular brand of comic theatre.

Hayley Atwell and Tom Hiddleston (credit: Marc Brenner)

For those of us who know anything about Tom Hiddleston, we are fully aware that he very much emanates “class clown” energy, especially away from the cameras; it is clear to see that he is completely in his element as Benedick, with his natural charm and charisma, as well as terrific comic timing, on full display. Even his micro expressions manage to convey so much, with subtle hints to the audience and fourth wall breaks used brilliantly, throw in a healthy quota of dad dancing that would make even the most stoic teenage daughter hide her face, and you can tell he is clearly having a terrific time on that stage.

Every member of this cast could have an entire article dedicated to them, Mason Alexander Park shows why they’re such a versatile performer, their unbridled swagger and stage presence is wonderful to see, and once again we are treated to more of their exquisite vocals. Hayley Atwell plays opposite Hiddleston with discernible gumption, showcasing her own considerable comedic chops with aplomb, whilst Forbes Masson's take on Leonato is a testament once again to his versatility and malleability as an actor.

It would appear that the third time’s the charm for Lloyd, as we finally get the sense that he does, after all, know how to stage the classics. This is Shakespeare like you’ve never seen before, upbeat, modern, irresistibly inventive, Lloyd has breathed fresh life into the bard. It may have taken him a while, but it was fully worth the wait.

★★★★★

"Much Ado About Nothing" plays at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane until the 5th of April.