Review by Daz Gale
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sandwiched in between, two Andrew Lloyd Webber revivals, Jamie Lloyd has set his sights firmly on Shakespeare with a triple helping of fresh takes on his classic plays. Though the first two offerings, Romeo & Juliet and The Tempest received a mixed response, the third and final, Much Ado About Nothing, promises a Jamie Lloyd production like you have never seen before - and let me tell you, it is everything!
This is a Jamie Lloyd production like you have never seen before. While his sensational production of Sunset Boulevard drew no shortage of acclaim, there has been a sense over the last year that he may be running out of ideas, rehashing the same old tried and tested features that no longer carried the same impact they did the first time they were used. Much Ado About Nothing proves there is much more to Lloyd than people might necessarily expect, and he can still surprise when he wants to be.
Lloyd's aesthetic may be dark, monotone, and minimalistic, but in this production of Much Ado About Nothing, he has discovered colour! Though still relatively minimalistic, a sea of pink is prominent throughout with a never-ending shower of pink confetti adding to the pile. It is a markedly different look for a Jamie Lloyd production and refreshingly so. It also feels as if he has discovered joy as this is a far less serious production than his counterparts with fun oozing out of every corner.
It would be easy to write this off as a novelty but there is so much more to it than that. Jamie Lloyd has proved himself to be a truly gifted director - I personally cited Sunset Boulevard as the best direction I have ever seen and I stand by that statement. With this production of Much Ado About Nothing, he once again proves what a remarkable director he is with an abundance of creativity and a flair that shows why, when he gets it right, he strikes gold... or should that be pink?
Though there are few props aside from a few plastic chairs and a couple of surprises (which I dare not spoil) in Soutra Gilmour’s gorgeous set design, the direction is rich throughout with the vast Theatre Royal Drury Lane stage laid out bare in all its resplendent glory yet never feeling bare, thanks to larger than life choices involving the sensational cast of ten. One inspired sequence sees Benedict (Tom Hiddleston) attempting to hide himself in various different ways (no mean feat on a stage with few props). The result is one of the most hilarious and astounding sequences I have ever seen, akin to something out of a particularly funny TV sitcom, and culminating in one of the greatest and perfectly timed pieces of physical comedy you are likely ever to see.
The production value across Much Ado About Nothing remains consistently striking with Jon Clark’s beautiful lighting design bathing the stage and the cast in a beautiful glow and matching the loud and proud aesthetic. Ben and Max Ringham’s sound design allows for the unexpected use of music (more on that shortly) to sound as crystal clear as if we were at a concert, while one of Jamie Lloyd’s regular collaborators Fabian Aloise once again works wonders with an inspired use of movement throughout.
It wouldn’t be a Jamie Lloyd production without star casting and this time there are two on hand. Banishing the memory of Sigourney Weaver, Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell lead the pack as Benedick and Beatrice. Two Marvel stars – with Jamie Lloyd’s track record for self-referencing (I hope every future incarnation of Sunset Boulevard retains the Pussycat Dolls references), it would be too good an opportunity to miss, wouldn’t it? I am not spoiling anything but how it is used really is a stroke of genius.
Hayley Atwell delivers a strong performance as Beatrice, showcasing bounds of energy and a knack for impeccable timing, be it comic, emotional or both. As great as she is, it is Tom Hiddleston who dominates this production in a performance that is charismatic and cheeky. Unafraid to break the fourth wall, with his tongue in his cheek and always with a knowing wink to the audience, Hiddleston is absolutely spellbinding as Benedick, demonstrating a knack for physical comedy and the kind of stage presence most people could only dream about. Impossible to take your eyes off of, Hiddleston has become a reliable force on both stage and screen, and seeing him work his magic here, it’s easy to see why. A knockout performance from start to finish – and who knew he could move like that?
James Phoon is a captivating presence in his turn as Claudio with Mara Huf a stunning presence as Hero. With Jamie Lloyd using several of the performers who have just completed a run in The Tempest on the same stage, the undoubted greatest aspect of that production was the phenomenal Mason Alexander Park who returns to once again prove their talents in a star turn as Margaret. Music plays a big part of this production of Much Ado About Nothing with a smattering of numbers from the 80s, 90s and 2000s all performed by Park, showcasing their gorgeous singing voice.
Jamie Lloyd’s Much Ado About Nothing attempts to immerse you before the show has even started with the importance of music in this production prominent from the moment you enter the theatre, with a host of 90s club classics blasting through. Suitably hyping the audience up, it gives the impression you are in a club yourself – something that lends itself wonderfully to the themes in this production when it begins. A masterstroke is the choice to get the ushers to hold up their “Turn your bloody phones off, for the love of God. Yes, that means you as well – not everyone but you. YOU!” signs while dancing to the songs, A simple choice but one that had me grinning before the show had even started.
This was my second Shakespeare play in a row this week. In my review yesterday, I commented on how sometimes Shakespeare can feel inaccessible to many in the 21st Century and attempts to modernise it can often fall flat. This was sadly my experience with the play I saw the day before. However, anything that show struggled to do right, this production of Much Ado About Nothing more than made up for. Effortlessly showing how to modernise a Shakespeare play, bring something new to it while not detracting from the original text and find a way to connect with a wide audience, this is a show that will not only appeal to people of all generations but will resonate and hopefully inspire them. If we should be striving to get more people into classics like this, Jamie Lloyd has well and truly come up trumps this time around, showing them exactly how it can be done.
I love to be surprised when I go to the theatre, never quite knowing what to expect. I didn’t expect a Jamie Lloyd production of a Shakespeare play to be pink, camp and joyful but here we are. The choices that have been used here show no end of creativity, all fairly unique in their approach, It was a risk and one that may have proved divisive, but it is impossible to not buy into the fun factor in this joyous production. Much Ado About Nothing may not have been what I was expecting but it is even better than I could have ever hoped. The best Jamie Lloyd production since Sunset Boulevard and one of the best plays of the year so far. I always use the line “Theatre at its best can make you feel” and I dare anyone to come out of this production feeling anything other than pure joy and fulfillment. A truly remarkable and refreshing piece of theatre – when it comes to things I can fault about it, there really is nothing.
Much Ado About Nothing plays at Theatre Royal Drury Lane until 5th April.
Photos by Marc Brenner