Much Ado About Nothing - Performance Review

    This past Friday I was able to see Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing at the Globe and to call it fantastic would be an understatement. Though life theater always has its quirks, it was easily one of the best shows that I have ever seen. Each character had something that I both loved and hated about them, which adds up being as every Shakespeare character has their quirks. As basic as I may be, my absolute favorite characters from this show were both Beatrice and Benedick. 


    Amalia Vitale, who played Beatrice, took a complex character and made her someone that I could easily identify with in many ways. Her ability to include the audience within her performance was something that I very much enjoyed, though usually I am not a fan of audience participation within shows as they can take away from the world being built on the stage. 


    Both Amalia Vitale (Beatrice) and Ekow Quartey (Benedick) had so many strengths to their performance that it is difficult for me to find a weakness. Their banter throughout the how kept getting better and better. One moment that really sticks out to be was act II, scene 3. When originally reading the text I found it to be silly, but upon seeing it live I found it absolutely hysterical. In particular, when Benedick says: 

                Ha! "Against my will I am sent to bid you

        come in to dinner." There's a double meaning in

        that. "I took no more pains for those thanks than 

        you took pains to thank me." That's as much as to 

        say "Any pains that I take for you is as easy as 

        thanks." (3.2.2 59-64)


Quartey took those lines of dialogue and made them come to life on the stage. He was able to deliver his lives both comedically and true to character at the same time. From the moment that he stepped on stage I was pulled into a world that I never wanted to leave. He was able to make me laugh out loud, feel annoyed with him, and sympathize with him all at the same time. 


    I whole heartedly believe that the casting for this play was spot on. Each actor made Shakespeare so easily digested through their body language and overall acting. Their dialogue was easily understandable, so much so that I believe I would have enjoyed this show without any prior knowledge on Shakespeare or the play. Such as when Amalia Vitale delivered her monologue in act 4, scene 1 where she says "O, that I were a man for his sake! Or / that I had any friend would be a man for my sake!" (4.1.331-31). Beatrice's emotions were palpable on that stage, and the loud applause that came following that monologue was one that gave me chills. Also, the way in which Adam Wadsworth played him character, Claudio. His portrayal was fantastic! The way in which he stalked about the stage like a lovesick teenager the entire show really helped me to understand the motives of his character. 


    Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing is a show that I would highly recommend to absolutely everyone, I honestly think I did not stop smiling once. Though we saw this show on Friday, I have not been able to get it out of my mind, and I wish I could watch it again and again.     

    



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