Bell Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing makes the warring Beatrice (Blazey Best) and Benedick (Toby Schmitz) firebrands for each other. They are so in love they won’t even allow themselves to realise it. Set in a ‘40s/’50sish Italian mansion, it’s up to Don Pedro (Matthew Walker), Claudio (Sean Hawkins) and Hero (Alexandra Fisher) to make the pair realise what they can’t see. When Hero and Claudio’s marriage plans go awry (thanks to a wonderfully mincing Sean O’Shea), the duelling duo must find a way out of the disaster.
With a backdrop of Claudio and Hero’s rose-coloured love, it’s far easier for the audience to empathise with the emotionally hopeless Benedick and Beatrice. Since they both rebel against society, they are eternally modern characters and wonderfully effective personalities on stage. Schmitz’s Benedick is brilliant, stealing the scene every time he’s on stage. Given the nature of the role and Schmitz’s comedic background, he times his comedy turns perfectly, elevating the energy and pace of the play. Best plays a Beatrice unafraid to sashay her way around stage, a fiercely independent and iconic Shakespearean character who refuses to bow to social pressure.
With a superb cast, particularly in terms of the two principals, Bell Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing is a beautifully rendered production with modern twinges that keep the Bard’s relevance more alive than ever.
