Hark, spectators of the realm! If thy soul doth hunger for a “reverent irreverence” turning a 77-seat black box into a roaring arena of wretched romance, get thee to the Burbage Theatre Co! Director Stephen Thorne, who has been called “without question, one of the most electric theatre professionals that Rhode Island has to offer,” by Burbage founding Artistic Director Jeff Church, hath unleashed a most rollicking rendition of William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing with absolute magnificence. The 16-member ensemble is led by the power couple of Church as Benedick, and resident artist Alison Russo as Beatrice. Together, these verbal duelists command the stage, proving nonstop commotion can absolutely be fashioned out of a cipher.
“Much Ado About Nothing is in the company of Twelfth Night and As You Like It as one of Shakespeare’s comedic masterworks,” says Church. “It brims with love! Shakespeare knew well that to love is to risk everything. He also knew the vast and varied responses that we have to risk and vulnerability. Much Ado is also rife with wit — sharp, scathing, intelligent, but also, at times, preposterously silly. Frivolity and nihilism — before the advent of nihilism — exist as two sides of the same coin that is the play’s title. And yet, this play, unlike many of its period, prizes women’s voices and their integrity. Much Ado is, in this way, wildly prescient and resonates profoundly today.”
Behold a critical chronicle of the pageantry! By the rood, what sparks fly between these two in the merriest war of wits! The duo spar not with swords, but with tongues sharper than a viper’s teeth. Russo stands with a fierce independence while rapid-firing insults with blistering velocity. Church matches her stride, portraying Benedick with a dizzying, stubborn chaos such that his surrender to love is a triumph of pure comedic joy, which doesn’t come off as feigned. True love often begins as open war, and this couple forswears matrimony whilst their confidantes covertly conspire to trap them in a sweet snare of affection.
This reviewer has seen Much Ado many times, but never like this! Leave it to Brittany Costello to give us amazing props. Her vision incorporates creative and engaging items typically not found in a Shakespeare performance, in a way that makes this production feel freshly current, not to mention fun! The Bard would be proud to see his masterpiece performed thusly — with enough silliness to make you wish you were on stage playing with the actors — whilst still hitting all the expected marks.
They’ve also integrated modern elements into the costuming designed by Riley Nedder, and scenic designer Trevor Elliott ensures the whole performance is more accessible by making practical use of the space given, as the stage area is a bit unconventional.
Fred Wambolt as Leonato is particularly present, making you forget he’s acting while anchoring his household with noble, paternal gravity, which elegantly fragments into despair during the wedding crisis. Tatiana Sullivan radiates a pure and graceful gentleness as his daughter, Hero, making her unjust betrayal all the more endearingly heartbreaking. With her courtly lover Claudio, portrayed by Chris DePina, the starry-eyed sweethearts play vulnerable foils to their older skeptics.
Julia Curtin as Don John hatches a villainous plot by merry meddlers and mischief makers Omar Laguerre-Lewis as Borachio, and Jordan Smith as Conrade. The chaotic pair’s interactions are crucial in compelling the villainous subplot forth. The rest of the ensemble adds to the comedy with playful energy. O, what glorious, bumbling fools!
The success of a play in Shakespeare’s day was measured by ticket sales, audience reaction, and whether the royal court requested a command performance. The verdict is in — get your tickets now, as this production is surely a sellout. Whether thou art a scholar of the Bard or simply a modern groundling seeking jovial laughter, this production reminds us the past is indeed prologue. It is also a triumph of hearing and mishearing — much ado, ostensibly about nothing. If music, mirth, and second chances be the food of love you crave, you’ll find it here. Play on, Burbage!
Burbage Theatre presents Much Ado About Nothing through Oct11. For more information, visit burbagetheatre.org.