Much Ado About Nothing Review Open Air Theatre 2009

Genre: Comedy
Opened 1 June 2009
Written: by William Shakespeare
Directed: Timothy Sheader
Cast: Samantha Spiro (Beatrice), Sean Campion (Benedick)
Synopsis: War-weary heroes return to their Mediterranean home, but now sparks fly as a different battle commences. Will love triumph?

What the popular press had to say.....
LYN GARDNER for THE GUARDIAN says, "Timothy Sheader's second season at the helm of the Open Air theatre in Regent's Park gets off to a cracking start with this charming and crowd-pleasing account of Shakespeare's wittiest comedy." FIONA MOUNTFORD for THE EVENING STANDARD says, "Successful versions of Much Ado...balance the prose and the passion, the delightful romantic comedy and the dragging melodrama, so that the fizzing scenes featuring B and B don't leave everything and everyone else trailing forlornly in their wake. Unfortunately, this is a balancing act that Timothy Sheader, the Open Air Theatre's artistic director fails to pull off." SAM MARLOWE for THE TIMES says, "An unsatisfying blend of soufflé and stodge...as the tone of Shakespeare's play darkens, the charm of the earlier scenes gives way, post-interval, to some static staging and awkward acting" SUSAN ELKIN for THE STAGE says, "A clean cut, visually appealing, intelligently acted production."

External links to full reviews from popular press
The Guardian
The Times
 

Production photos by Alistair Muir