The National Theatre’s Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
Director: Nicholas Hytner
Benedick : Simon Russell Beale
Beatrice : Zoë Wanamaker
Hero : Susannah Fielding
Claudio : Daniel Hawksford
This version was well worth the wait. I had to stalk the theatre in order to get a seat! I was very lucky to get a student cancelation ticket (the last seat in the house) for only 10 quid! Despite the fact I was up in the back of the dress circle in the Oliever Theatre (a drop-dead stunningly gorgeous amphitheatre) I heard every word of this performance. However, being far away did nothing to stop me from fully investing in the very real, albeight somewhat older, characters and the love/hate relationship between Benedick and Beatrice, both of which were played with suprising and refreshing vulnerability. Despite having both read the play and seen the movie, I walked away from this performance with a completely new look on the relatioship between the two witty would-be lovers. Dont let my talk of sentimentality fool you, the shows comedia is not to be forgotten. One of my favorite moments in this play was a humorous, almost slapstick choreography where Benedick and Beatrice ‘overhear’ their companions discuss the love one has for the other. The audience was in stitches! Simon Russell Beale was particularly brilliant at melding the characters vulnerability with absolute hilarity. If there is one thing that I will take away from this peformace, its that comedy, many times, comes from showing absolute vulnerability.
