• theatre
  • features
  • glimpses
  • faqs
  • contact
  • theatre
  • features
  • glimpses
  • faqs
  • contact
  Art Murmurs - Wellington Reviews

Reviews

Much Ado About Nothing

20/5/2016

0 Comments

 

Matt Loveranes

Picture
Presented by Students of THEA302 and THEA308
Directed by Stella Reid

When I heard that the 300 level students of Victoria University of Wellington were taking on the oft-performed Much Ado About Nothing, I admit I raised an eyebrow. It’s a daunting challenge, making this fan favourite seem fresh and worthwhile for their audience, most of whom have to brave harsh winds and rain to get to Studio 77 up in Kelburn. Thankfully, the bright-eyed and fresh faced company of THEA 302 mostly live up to that challenge.

In this iteration of the play, the company opts for a meta-theatrical framing device of having a director (Nino Raphael) and his troupe of actors comment on their production of Much Ado. This starts off feeling quite gimmicky, but earns its worth once they make astute observations on the play’s different social and thematic implications, viewed through their contemporary lens. Their decision to make Hero (Ailise Beales) reason out whether she thinks Claudio feels genuine remorse over her slander is particularly powerful.
I’ve always held the view that any successful production of this play hinges on the chemistry of their Beatrice and Benedick. And to this task, Ophelia Wass and Rory Hammond acquit themselves finely. Wass in particular is the star of the show, bringing the requisite witty irony to the role, but truly soars when she is called to deliver pathos and longing. In her hands, Beatrice’s seminal soliloquy - “What Fire in Mine Ears, Can this be True?”, where she finds out about Benedick’s true affections, is breathed to wondrous new life by Wass’ aching voice.
The other principal couple fare pretty well, too. Beales is luminous as Hero, injecting her with a wide-eyed innocence that never reads as naïve but more as charm and good nature. She is well paired with Simon Davis’ soft-spoken Claudio. This version of the couple is probably my favourite of what I have seen so far because two of this production’s very best moments revolve around them. The ensemble often punctuates moments with their harmonious singing and Hero’s funeral is wonderfully scored with Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova’s modern classic “Falling Slowly”, which really enhances the wistful mourning that clouds over Messina. And in the show’s very best moment, never have I empathised with Claudio more than seeing his heartbreak at what he presumes is Hero laying with another man. This is coupled by a seriously tender moment between Borachia (Bernardine Gladding) and Margaret (Alex Merson), the accomplices to this crime as they dance to a heart-breaking rendition of the The Knife’s “Heartbeats”. I fear I may be venturing into spoiler territory here, but this moment of theatrical magic is too good not to note.
The rest of the cast are pretty game and relish in their respective roles. The standout being Kieran Morris’ dulcet-toned Don Pedro. His prince is suave, magnanimous and jovial, and Morris brings equal amounts of gravitas and fun to the role. He is one to watch out for.
Studio 77 is smartly used overall. Adam Hart, Darryl Ng and Talei Peckham’s deconstructed, Brechtian set is inspired and informs the deconstructed, meta-theatrical approach of this production. The staging of the play in traverse is curious. I’m not sure whether it allows for the best viewing experience but it certainly makes for a memorable one.
The show does leave a few more things to be desired. It takes its time to find its groove and the second half is bogged down by its heavy focus on an OTT Dogberry, but my biggest quibble is the ending. Presented with two options, the opening night’s audience clearly chose the more enticing “mystery” one. Consequently, the company presents us with a limp, random ending to an otherwise promising production. I kept thinking it was a red herring and that the real, festive ending I associate with most Shakespeares would manifest itself but alas, we were left in anti-climax. Perhaps next time, the theatre-makers should ensure that in devising multiple endings that the audience always gets the most fulfilling one.
That said, the ending alone does not ruin this very welcome take on the Shakespeare classic. The company, director Stella Reid and the rest of the team should be proud for injecting exciting new life to the romantic comedy. I congratulate them on their sold out season.

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Local Honest Reviews

    At Art Murmurs, our aim is to provide honest and constructive art reviews to the Wellington community.

    Archives

    March 2021
    February 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015

    Categories

    All
    All Age Appropriate
    Art
    BATS
    Beauty Standards
    Black Comedy
    Body Positive
    Circa
    Circus
    Comedy
    Comedy Festival 2018
    Comedy Festival 2019
    Dance
    Devised
    Documentary
    Drag
    Drama
    Exhibition
    Experimental
    Female Artists
    Feminism
    Festival
    For Kids
    Fringe
    Fun
    Gallery
    Gryphon Theatre
    Heart + Music
    History
    Improv
    International
    Interview
    Ivy
    Lighting
    Local
    Mental Health
    Music
    Musical
    New Writing
    New Zealand
    NZ Comedy
    NZ Fringe
    NZIF
    On Tour
    Photography
    Photospace Gallery
    Physical Theatre
    Political
    Politics
    Premiere
    Pyramid Club
    Queer
    Race
    Science
    Scruffy Bunny Improv Theatre
    Sexual Violence
    Shakespeare
    Site Specific
    Site-specific
    Sketch
    Solo Show
    Song
    Spoken Word
    Storytelling
    Te Auaha
    Theatre
    Thought Provoking
    Thought-provoking
    Toi Poneke Gallery
    Verbatim
    Victoria University
    Weekly
    Wellington
    Wellington Footlights