Left - Blazey Best and Alexandra Fisher. Cover - Toby Schmitz and Blazey Best. Photos - Wendy McDougallAfter a few shaky or simply uninspired productions of late, John Bell and his Bell Shakespeare Company are back to form, first with Lee Lewis’ excellent and unusual Twelfth Night from late last year, and now with this delightful new production of Much Ado About Nothing. Framed in a simple Italianate setting with a minimum of scenery, warm lighting and vaguely mid-20th Century costuming, it is a light, unobtrusive staging of one of Shakespeare’s best-loved comedies.
Admittedly, it should of course be noted that this is a relatively “conventional” production, with no major interpretational gimmick, radically unexpected setting or unconventional textual approach. Such experimentalism has often been the greatest strength and yet occasional stumbling block of Bell Shakespeare’s. While these attempts to keep their presentation of the Bard’s work immediate and engaging may sometimes fall flat for one reason or another, I am always keen to see their next bold attempt. And so, while this production could be accused of taking a safe route, I nevertheless applaud director John Bell’s restraint on this particular outing in using a relatively inconspicuous production concept, and simply allowing his fine cast of actors to explore their text unencumbered.
Certainly, it is the strong ensemble that drives this production, with some great performances from Tony Llewellyn-Jones, Alexandra Fisher, Nathan Lovejoy, and of course the wonderful Max Gillies and Arky Michael, always great value even in these smaller roles. Sean O’Shea delivers an unexpectedly arch turn as the villainous Don John, a far cry from his memorably subtle Cassius from a decade or so back, yet its delightful odiousness fits the multi-layered tone of the production.
Of course, as with any production of Much Ado, a great deal of one’s attention naturally rests upon the performances (indeed the very casting) of the famous love-hate pairing of Beatrice and Benedick, perhaps the ultimate battle of the sexes for those enamored of clever characters that share a biting wit yet are ultimately fools for love as much as anyone. Here Bell has cast some interesting choices: a little unexpected and younger, perhaps, than many you are likely to have seen before, with the seemingly omnipresent Toby Schmitz and Bell Shakespeare stalwart Blazey Best.
Best is an excellent fit, bringing to the fore the considerable talent and experience she has previously displayed in her many other Shakespearian parts. With Beatrice, regarded as one of Shakespeare’s greatest female characters, Best has perhaps found her most perfectly suited role. As the sassy, indomitable spinster, she achieves the perfect counterpoint of brass and vulnerability in the right moments.
Schmitz, by comparison, brings a different quality. Although unquestionably talented, his recent ubiquity has served to highlight certain shticky tricks and ticks which pervade his acting style to such an extent that, while amusing at first, they become tiresome after seeing his quite varied roles all exhibiting these same idiosyncratic flourishes. He is a highly gifted actor in danger of relying on this particular crutch in the long term, and yet one who has perhaps found a real calling in the works of Shakespeare. Indeed, the first Schmitz performance in quite a while that I for one did not find annoying was in Benedict Andrews’ rather confronting production of Measure for Measure at Belvoir last year. There I realised that Schmitz is an excellent Shakespearian actor, one of the few possessing that rare talent for making the Bard’s beautifully archaic language sound naturalistic and spontaneous, effortlessly conversational and not the least bit rehearsed or artificial.
Such it is with his performance as Benedick in Much Ado. While relying as heavily as ever on his bag of tricks, Schmitz’s comedic flair and ease with the text make it one of the most fresh and engaging portrayals of the character I have seen in some time. Let us not forget that the goal of Bell Shakespeare has always been a commendably populist one, using youthful ideas and talents to get young people involved in appreciating Shakespeare. And if the enthusiastic and quite vocal responses from the audience last night were any indication, then Schmitz, and Schmitz quite specifically, is most certainly effective in this regard. His chemistry with Best, despite his seeming disjunction with her far less mannered and less selfconscious style of performance, is excellent, and together they nicely capture that essential nimbleness of the rapidly evolving relationship that is at the core of any successful rendition of this play.
This production of Much Ado About Nothing may not be one of the most daring versions you will ever see, but it has a powerful charm, a light touch, and an unbeatably generous spirit.
Bell Shakespeare presents
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
by William Shakespeare
Directed by John Bell
Venue: Drama Theatre | Sydney Opera House
Dates: 8 April – 14 May, 2011
Duration: 3 hours, including 20 minute interval
Tickets: $75 – $30
Bookings: 02 9250 7777
