A revitalized, reinvigorated, and even ’90s-house, retelling of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, starring Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell, has ignited London’s West-End after its opening on February 10th.
Upon entry to the auditorium of Theatre Royal Drury Lane, the bright lights and pounding club music preempted the reimagining of Shakespeare’s classic; The Jamie-Lloyd Theatre Company’s production incorporated Brechtian elements, minimalistic set choices and modern influences.
Hayley Atwell’s Beatrice was sassy, indignant, and electrifying: her portrayal was ardent and entertaining, but also softened with Atwell’s communications of Beatrice’s sincere and heart-felt aspects. Hiddleston’s Benedick was charming, lovingly smarmy, and thoroughly watchable; the chemistry achieved between the two displayed their petty bickering, romantic revelations, and development to tender loving confessions, with careful ease.
Supporting roles like Mason Park’s Magaret, who serenaded the show with hits like Florence and the Machine’s “You’ve Got the Love,” and Gerald Kyd’s earnest and engaging Don Pedro, bolstered the show’s watchability even further, and proved the strength of the cast throughout.
The set’s minimalism, designed by Soutra Gilmour, entailed an endless stream of pink confetti, which proved both atmospheric and useful: an aesthetically-pleasing reminder of the romantic themes at hand. It was utilized by Hiddleston as he unsubtly hides amidst the supposed revelations of Beatrice’s love for him. Hiddleston smothers himself in the confetti, a comical sequence that left audiences enlivened and giggling, whilst reinforcing that, from this moment on, Benedick is engulfed in romance. Gilmour’s inclusion of a massive, red inflatable heart at the back of the stage also served this purpose; the key component of love was readily apparent.
The eccentricity of Lloyd’s production raised the question of how one should adapt Shakespeare plays: shorter, with lots of script changes, snappier and more dynamic, is this more amenable for modern audiences? Whilst Lloyd made the play refreshingly short in length, by changing lines, for example, making Magaret a bigger role and removing the characters of “The Watch,” it is arguable that at some points, meaning was lost. This was especially the case in Benedick’s Act 2 Scene 3 speech (“I do much wonder that one man”) which was shortened and included the presence of Claudio, undermining the intimacy between the audience and Benedick, which is normally afforded at this point in Shakespeare’s play.
Nonetheless, Lloyd’s production is a glorious, refreshing, and intoxicating success, and a well-worth night spent at the Theatre.
Photography by Marc Brenner, courtesy of thejamielloydcompany.com