Much Ado About Nothing - Shakespeare WA

The test of great theatre are these questions: would you see it again and would you recommend it to friends? For Paige Newmark's Much Ado About Nothing in Kings Park for Shakespeare WA the answer is a definite yes! Set at the end of the Second World War, complete with Army Uniforms, Vera Lynn tunes, a Hollywood themed masked ball and references to Churchill this production is full of laughs. And I mean genuine laughs. It is wonderful event theatre, outdoors, on the grass with a picnic and the actors ranging about full of verve and sparkling with wit. The man of the moment is David Davies who gives us a Benedick to remember as one of the great performances of this role. I am not kidding but not many people will realise that unless they travel around the world to see the various companies tackle this play as this reviewer has done. I put him on a par with anyone I have seen on the West End, National Stage, RSC or Broadway. It is what is called a tour-de-force performance. Cavalier and with an incredible voice that is not only audible at the back but also has nuances and changes in tone which is the one great challenge the actors face in this setting. He is funny, he is heroic, he is full of life and energy and he gives us all we could wish for in Benedick.

He is not alone, Hannah Day is a sweet Beatrice and deserves to finally get her man. Marco Jovanovic deserves praise in the role of the Prince, a part that is often overlooked, his quiet authority and stillness provide the perfect foil for Davies to bounce against and Stephen Lee has plenty of puff as Leonato, at first the sweet Father and then the dominating Patriarch. If the first half is like a freshly opened bottle of champagne the second half brings the drama. The bubbles go flat and unfortunately the play starts to drag as it's fizz goes out. The wedding scene is handled very well by both Nick Maclaine and Sophie Lester as Claudio and Hero torn apart by false accusations. It's a tragic scene that certainly quietened the giddy crowd. More enjoyment was provided by Sam Longley's clownish Dogberry and his motley crew all marching to the tune of Dad's Army. By the end we learn that all has been 'much ado about nothing' but by then we have laughed ourselves out.

Paige Newmark has never turned out a better production for Shakespeare WA. This production capitalises on the froth he started but didn't quite achieve in the first half of his 2011 Romeo and Juliet and combines the seriousness that was just a bit too measured in his 2012 Tempest. He seems to have found his feet with this production. It is far more interactive, you feel more thrust into the action than on previous occasions. The result being that you care more about the characters. My only quibble would be the lack of judicious cuts in the second half. We are not sitting in the comfort of His Majesty's and by 22.30 the champagne bottle is empty. This play will probably not be seen in Perth for another five or so years. Do not miss it. The cast is excellent. The direction is spot-on and the entire look and feel is right. Special mention must go to Jessica Water's wonderful choreography in the dances. And according to the programme notes Davies divides his time between London and Perth: catch him before he leaves these sunny shores! I am certainly going again - I've got my tickets! See www.shakespearewa.com for details.