Review of ‘Much ado about Nothing’ starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate, at the Wyndham’s theatre, London: Saturday 6th August 2011

Review of ‘Much ado about Nothing’ starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate, at the Wyndham’s theatre, London: Saturday 6^th August 2011, by Carla Riley.

After the triumph, both on the stage and on the smaller screen in 2010 of Hamlet, it was with much eagerness that tickets for David Tennant’s next foray into Shakespeare were snapped up. Any fan of recent Dr Who will know that, despite first impressions, Catherine Tate and David Tennant proved, beyond a doubt, that they worked well together as a team, the question was, would they translate that energy to a live performance? The answer, for this reviewer anyway, is a resounding yes. If the responses of the matinee audience were anything to go by, the three standing ovations and cries of ‘best play I’ve seen in years’ would suggest the majority concur.

Much ado about nothing, by its very title suggests a focus on relationship struggles and language rather than plot substance. The more usual comedy of this play, especially the set pieces of Tennant’s overheard conversations and mistaken assumptions, appear alongside a cleverly designed revolving set. This allows for circumstantial as well as ironic humour, as well as the all important banter between Beatrice and Benedick, which fans of the play know and love.

By setting the play in 1980s Gibraltar, designers have bought forward a swaggering, beer drinking and golf buggy driving (complete with British and Scottish flags) OTT Benedick, a contrast to the more subdued yet delightfully sarcastic Catherine Tate, yet still opinionated enough as Beatrice to act nearly every one else off the stage. What seems difficult to follow on the page, disguises, mistaken and overheard opinions, assumptions of chastity and disgrace, are easy to follow here, played out in a subtle yet intricate way, a tribute to the original text and the skills of the performers.

Tennant especially shows himself to be a master at comic timing, set pieces involving paint, an electronic keyboard and dressing up in drag (love the Elvis shades) prove more amusing than the text can ever purvey, almost having to be seen to be believed. The love story between the two B’s is made all the more realistic in the more complex dramatic scenes, following nicely from the opening scenes, where Tennant and Tate allow seeming apathy and indifference between their characters to shift, over time, into unrequited love.

Although this reviewer has to admit that their passions lie, not with Shakespeare’s comedies, rather with the tragedies, the stars alone were worth a gamble, one which, in this case, paid off handsomely, highly recommended.

Benedict   But it is certain I
am loved of all ladies, only you excepted: and I
would I could find in my heart that I had not a hard
heart; for, truly, I love none.

Beatrice  I thank God
and my cold blood, I am of your humour for that: I
had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man
swear he loves me.