‘the delightful wordplay brought the natural chemistry of the cast to the fore’
Shake-Scene Shakespeare returns to Shakespeare North Playhouse with their adaptation of Shakespeare’s celebrated romantic comedy delivered through a cue-based performance approach, much in the vein of how the original players would have played it over four hundred years ago.
In post-war Messina, the home of Leonato (Simon Balcon) with daughter Hero (Eugenia Low) and cousin Beatrice (Valentina Vinci) ever present along with attendants Margaret (Ellie Zeegen) and Ursula (Larissa Oates), Prince Don Pedro (Zeegen) leads the returning soldiers which include his illegitimate brother Don John (Jennifer Jordan), Claudio (Oates), and Benedick (Dewi Hughes), and it is with some inevitability that Claudio is drawn to Hero as much as Benedick and Beatrice are apparently not. But the jealous, and perhaps battle weary, Don John is unhappy with his lot in life and sets out to turn the tables on rival Claudio with the assistance of Borachio (Low) and Conrade (Balcon).
With everyone pre-occupied with the forthcoming nuptials arranged by the Friar (Jordan), will master constable Dogberry (Jordan) and the nightwatch of Verges (D Hughes), Sexton (Oates), and two watchmen (Vinci; Zeegen) manage to catch the culprits in action and report back in time to ensure a happy ending after all? It’s all twists and turns and the outcome will certainly not be what you are expecting.
Shake-Scene Shakespeare’s unique approach in working from original Renaissance-style cue-based texts is refreshing and challenging in equal measure: with the actors never having rehearsed together before first performance, there is an attendant Book Holder (Dr Lizzie Hughes) to keep things on track. There’s certainly nowhere to hide without staging or set, and only some basic costuming to delineate between characters with rapid adjustments to enable cast to segue between roles.
It is often wondered whether this play is the missing Love’s Labour’s Won, the latter half of a comic double bill with Love’s Labour’s Lost, but it is certainly one of Shakespeare’s funniest pieces. Appearing in predominantly modern costume, the delightful wordplay brought the natural chemistry of the cast to the fore which quickly draws the audience into the many plots.
There was good use of the available ‘off-stage’ space for quick changes as well as props, and I enjoyed the cast blending in with the audience which added to the spontaneity generated from a cue-based approach and whilst there were some line calls, these did not overly detract from strong performances which involved the cast dual- and multi-rolling.
L Hughes provided a witty prologue that gave context to the production and its styling, before the themes of honour, deception, and the battle of the sexes unravel through two contrasting love stories in an overall strong production in which all the cast performed well, individually, and as an ensemble with some great comic timing.
Stand out moments included Balcon, Oates, and Zeegen’s hilarious set up of Benedick, which was equally matched in turn by Low and Oates’ set up of Beatrice, and whilst Jordan, Balcon, and Low served up some good old villainy, Jordan, D Hughes, Vinci, and Zeegen’s nightwatch provided the perfect humorous counterfoil.
Eyes are naturally drawn to the two leads who both excelled, with Vinci’s Beatrice delivered with a real cutting edge which I enjoyed, whilst D Hughes’ subtle breaking of the fourth wall was testimony to his acting prowess.
Shake-Scene Shakespeare are UK specialists in cue-based theatre, who have been building a reputation for unique theatre performance and exciting workshops since 2017.
Much Ado About Nothing is part of a Summer of Love Double Bill with Love’s Labour’s Lost. For further information on the company and upcoming performances please visit https://www.shake-sceneshakespeare.co.uk/
Review Date: 7th August 2026
Star Rating: FOUR