Lloyd Bradford (Brad) Syke, Australian Stage (27 January, 2008)
Lloyd Bradford (Brad) Syke, Australian Stage (27 January, 2008)
Much Ado About Nothing|Sydney Shakespeare Festival
Much Ado About Nothing, essentially, was and is the When Harry met Sally of the late 16th & early 17th centuries. As contemporary, timeless and enduring as it remains, somewhat newer is Sydney’s Shakespeare Festival, centred ‘round Glebe’s Bicentennial Park, sponsored by the City of Sydney (I knew Clover was good for something).
A large cast (Martin Bell, Jennifer Davis, Kurtis Gee, Penny Hall, Richard Hilliar, Shane Imbert, David Jeffrey, Cherilyn Price, Roger Adam Smith, Matthew Stewart & Deborah Thomson, under the baton, as it were, of Julie Baz), plays it for all it’s worth: a good decision was to interpolate Aussie accents (the brazen Margaret, posturing Benedick & feisty Beatrice being prime examples), which served to enhance the boisterous bawdiness of the play. Indeed, these 3 characters stole the show; (‘though that in no way diminishes the performances of their counterparts, for the most part).
The Bard, of course, milks the first half for laughs, with his trademark rapier wit & linguistic acrobatics. After intermission, however, he really ramps up the intensity & drama, bolstering what is, for want of a more apt descriptor, a romantic comedy, with characteristically incisive observations of the unreliability of character; the nature and manifestations of deceit & outright treachery; jealousy and love. Baz has clearly understood these facets and brought each off the page very successfully, indeed, in what is one of Million Dollar Bill’s most accessible theatrical ventures.
The slight threat of inclemency did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm and affection of the all-too-small crowd, which was not only for the genius of the writer, but extent to which cast and director had realized his intentions.
In short, the Sydney Shakespeare Festival, which needs to be much more aggressively publicised if it is to succeed to the deserved extent, is a precious addition to the scant presence of Shakespeare in Sydney. Stratford-Upon-Avon calling!
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Ben Walker, City News (January 19, 2008)
Shakespeare Stars in Glebe
Theatre arrives on the Glebe Foreshore on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights between now and February 17 with the Shakespearean comedy Much Ado About nothing in Bicentennial Park.
The not-for-profit Sydney Shakespeare Festival preaches cultural appreciation and includes some social goals: children, people with disabilities and older people are given free entry.
The mission statement also expresses a desire to ‘raise awareness and funds for HIV research.’ Therefore, in this production 10 per cent of proceeds supports the Millennium Foundation.
Kylie Strudwick, Marketing Manager for the Millennium Foundation says ‘We are thrilled to be associated with the Sydney Shakespeare Festival. Even though 39.5 million people across the globe have the virus, HIV research does not receive the fund raising attention and awareness it deserves’.
The play itself is a boisterous yet romantic tale of lies and deception within the British upper classes in 1600. the young lovers Claudio (Richard Hilliar) and Hero (Jennifer Jean Davis) are to be married within a week. For their own amusement, Claudio and Hero conspire with Don Pedro, Prince of Aragon (Martin Bell), to inappropriately mismatch the self-confessed ‘tyrant to women,’ Benedick (Matthew Stewart), and his nemesis – the fiery Beatrice (Deborah Thomson). At the same time, Don Pedro’s half-brother Don John (Shane Imbert) deviously attempts to dismantle Claudio and Hero’s wedding – similarly for his own amusement.
Deborah Thomson’s portrayal of the forthright and independent Beatrice is an energetic performance using her whole body and a dynamic vocal range to convey the character.
Full of dishonesty, misinterpretation and humorous squabbling, this is a romantic comedy with an element of ‘bawdy’ (sexual) humour.
Julie Baz, Artistic Director and co-founder of the festival said, “Shakespeare’s plays have captured the imagination of millions of people throughout the world for over 400 years and are as exciting and provocative now as the day they were written.”
So grab yourself a bottle of wine and gourmet snacks. Bring a rug and maybe a jumper for the sea breeze. Enjoy a night of sophisticated theatre in the lovely summer settings of the Glebe Foreshore with the backdrop of the harbour, Anzac Bridge and the city skyline.
Much Ado About Nothing plays at 8pm. Tickets are $25/$20. Book online at www.sydneyshakespearefestival.com.au <http://www.sydneyshakespearefestival.com.au/> or buy tickets at the door.
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