Sydney Reviews

Photo - John W. Sisson Jr.

With its battle of the sexes set up and crackling banter between former flames Beatrice and Benedick, turning Much Ado About Nothing into a hiphop floorshow makes intrinsic sense. That the production is so successful in capturing Much Ado’s youthful verve and wit has less to do with the inclusion of original lines (though these were deftly weaved in among the MC’ing) than the talents of a creative team who have replicated the heart of Shakespeare’s play.

‘Adraptation’ Funk it Up About Nothin' is part of the Platform Hip Hop Festival, and has come from the highly regarded Chicago Shakespeare Theater after a successful international tour in 2008, with many of the original cast reprising their roles. Directors GQ and JQ explain that ‘Our goal is to put Shakespeare in the hands of everyone, from Profs to pimps to punks to poets. If the hip-hop heads leave with a deeper appreciation of Shakespeare, and the Bardophiles find some love for rap, and everybody laughs, then our mission is complete.’ They certainly achieve their aim with this high quality and dynamic production.

Running at 70 mins, the play is compact and fast paced, but doesn’t sacrifice the depth of the original. Even before the play proper begins, DJ Adrienne Sanchez created a great atmosphere with her mixing, with many of the audience members dancing in their seats.

The plot points of Funk it Up About Nothin' are identical to Much Ado, with an urban twist. Hip hop superstar Don Pedro and his crew emerge victorious from their long tour, and accept Leonato’s offer to stay at his mansion. When MC Claudio and Leonato’s daughter Hero lock eyes, it’s love at first sight and a wedding is planned. Playboy MC Benedick and Hero’s cousin Lady B engage in a battle of wits and swear off love…they don’t realise they’re perfect for each other, but everyone else does. Everyone schemes to get Benedick and Lady B to fall in love, and soon their sparring subsides and sparks fly. Meanwhile Don Pedro’s bastard brother Don John decides to funk it all up and mess with everyone’s fun, and the multiple misunderstandings ensue, though in the fine tradition of a Shakespeare comedy we’re promised a happy ending.

In viewing other productions of Much Ado, it’s easy to grow impatient with Claudio and Hero’s infantile and angsty romance, when the deeper love between Benedick and Beartrice is so much more interesting. In Funk it Up, this isn’t the case, as both Jillian Burfete and Jackson Doran gently poke fun at the character’s gormlessness, with a cringeworthy kiss being particularly hilarious. As usual though, it’s the sparring lovers that steal the show. Ericka Ratcliff and JQ make a convincing Beatrice and Benedick, using their slick moves and sharp tongues in an attempt to mask their vulnerability. The quality and versatility of the entire cast was impressive, with the majority of the actors doubling.

The audience members at the opening night performance had, as the creators hoped, a very good time, judging by the number of people who were popping and rapping their favourite lines in the post-show bar queue. Whether you’re into hip hop or are anticipating John Bell’s production of Much Ado in April, this is a take on the Bard that is definitely worth checking out.


Platform Hip Hop Festival presents
Chicago Shakespeare Theater production
FUNK IT UP ABOUT NOTHIN’
based on Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

Adapted and Directed by JQ and GQ

Venue: Bay 20, CarriageWorks 245 Wilson St Eveleigh
Dates: 16 – 26 March 2011
Tickets: Adult $25, Concession $19.50, Group 5+ $22, School Groups $15 + booking fee
Bookings: www.platformhiphop.com.au | Ticketmaster 1300 723 038