Review: Much Ado About Nothing (Braboeuf Manor)
- All That Dazzles
- Jul 12
- 4 min read
Review by Oliver Briggs
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Celebrating 20 years, Guildford Shakespeare Company have partnered with Orange Tree Theatre to bring audiences into the world of Shakespeare through two of his timeless classics. In one day, you can experience Love’s Labour’s Lost and Much Ado About Nothing back to back, currently at Guildford before moving to Richmond later this month. I have already reviewed the former, and returned for the evening performance of this near tragi-comedy full of tension, but undercut bv fantastic laughter.
Being shipped way back to 1945 with Tom Littler’s post-war adaptation of this Shakespearean tragicomedy was a most captivating watch. Adapting names to suit the characters of Love’s Labour’s Lost as well as Much Ado About Nothing meant the storylines flowed effortlessly into one another whilst still working as separate plays. This adaptation maintained high humour and great comedy with sudden moments of extreme tension and surprise that were most easily quelled but could have potentially had higher stakes.
The cast consisted of ten equally commanding ensemble members who beamed with exceptional stage presence and yet didn't pull focus from a scene. I found the chemistry onstage between this group of actors was exceptional and allowed for the humor and wit to really shine through, whilst maintaining a sense of suspense and conflict. There was a lot of energy and enthusiasm behind each character portrayed, which maintained a strong pace and moved the story at a comfortable rate for most of the performance. Brotherhoods are tested among Owen Oakeshott, Jeremy Lloyd, James Sheldon, and Chirag Benedict Lobo as four men who have returned from war. Their ladies returning from the factories are played by Sarah Gobran, Joëlle Brabban, Phoebe Pryce, and Sally Cheng. Finally, Matt Pinches and Robin Simpson provided exceptional comic relief, with a few other roles being played by members of the company.
Similarly to the first show of the day, the direction of Tom Littler was rather exceptional. Throughout the performance, it felt as though I could have paused time, taken a photo, and it would look beautiful. Littler makes full use of the levels that Braboeuf Manor and the woodland behind provide. I loved a very particular scene where the tip of a pier was the most vulnerable spot, all other characters were on land staring out to that person, and the man behind this belittling is on a higher ground. The power dynamics and ties between different characters were so subtly created in an amazing way. It felt as though magnets were attached to performers that changed who and when they attracted or repelled from. His direction meant that storyline development was mostly clear, Unfortunately, the pacing appeared stale and lacking during the opening scenes, with some moments feeling out of place and developments slightly confusing. However, that is the only blunder of this production,
The costumes, designed by Neil Irish, developed throughout the performance as everybody initially entered dressed in RAF uniforms. The distinct grey-blue was a striking image in comparison to the brighter colours embraced later on in the play. The costumes also gave each character a little bit more of their own lives, as each costume was a different rank in the RAF, or a different branch of military altogether. As the company returns to a more normal life, we begin to see the combination of everyday wear used again, back to the trousers and suspenders. It was also nice to see some characters return to these outfits at their own pace, which showed the lasting struggles that the war had had on them.
In this performance, there was definitely a standout cast member in James Sheldon, who appears to be a man with no shortage of talent. Not only does he execute his role to the fullest with his emotive eyebrows, expressive eyes, and hilarious demeanour about him. He can also play guitar, sing, do minimal but surprising acrobatics, and have insane hide-and-seek skills involving a tree, a life buoy, and a riverside bar. He is so quick-witted with everything that he does, and he made for one of the most watchable performances. Step one: Much Ado About Nothing, step two: circus act!
Between both Love’s Labour’s Lost and Much Ado About Nothing, the storylines work back to back as though it were just one large 4-hour play. I enjoyed the small nods to detail and how you wouldn't be confused by them if you just saw the one play, and could get a good laugh if you saw both. I adore how the characters have been named between shows, like with Benedick Berowne just being a combination of Berowne from Love’s Labour’s Lost and Benedick from Much Ado About Nothing, because the characters are so strikingly similar.
As a whole, I thoroughly enjoyed this production because of the tense yet comedic mix of direction and characterisation. I love the way it had me stunned to silence and then laughing the next minute. I enjoyed the character development portrayed in the costumes. I also love how this production works in Tandem with GSC and OTT’s Love’s Labour’s Lost, which creates an even fuller and more enjoyable day-out experience.
Running until 25th July at Braboeuf Manor and then from 31st July - 22nd August at Thomas’s College. Much Ado About Nothing is one to get up and do something about.
Tickets here: