Much Ado About Nothing (MTC), at Southbank Theatre, The Sumner - 2 hours 30 minutes, including interval

Insults, treachery and love are interchangeable in this new, modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, which crackles with absurdity and wit.

It centres around the vicissitudes faced by two couples feted to be together, but not before a whole heap of melodrama.

Photos by Gregory Lorenzutti

I speak of the acerbic Beatrice (Alison Bell) and aristocratic soldier Benedick (Fayssal Bazzi), both sworn off love and marriage. They are constantly testing each other.

And then there is the younger soldier, Claudio (Remy Heremaia). He falls head over heels for Hero (Miela Anich), before he is deceived into believing she has cheated on him.

Also integral to the action are the prince, Don Pedro (John Shearman), a longtime friend of Hero’s father, Leonato (Syd Brisbane).

Leonato is a respected nobleman and the uncle of sharp-tongued Beatrice.

Don John (Chanella Macri) is the illegitimate brother of Don Pedro, who envies the prince’s authority.

We also have Hero’s ladies in waiting, Margaret (Macri again) and Ursula (Julie Forsyth), and Borachio (Anich again) – Margaret’s lover and dastardly plotter.

Nor should we overlook the chief policeman, Dogberry or the friar (both Forsythe), who have important roles to play.  

Slapstick humour abounds in a deliciously outrageous and fun filled production staged by MTC, marked by several memorable performances.

Six of the eight actors play multiple roles and each has their time to shine.

First up, high praise for the sprightly Forsyth, who transitions from character to character with aplomb and revels in the byplay. Marvellous!

From her opening punctuated words, I was taken by Macri unerring presence.

Anich’s Borachio is an uproarious, enthusiastic hoot, while Bell delivers in spades as the not to be messed with Beatrice.

Mind you, a scene in which a tipsy Ursula and Hero mischievously conspire to trick Beatrice from on high and she listens to every word below does exactly that.

It was one of my many highlights of opening night.

Let me quickly add that Bell’s facial expressions throughout Much Ado About Nothing are priceless.

As Benedick, Bazzi’s earnestness and frustration stand out, while there is a deliberate pomposity about Shearman as the prince.

Also impressive is Brisbane, a study in calculated control wherever he lands.

Heremaia brings a puppy dog devotion and a reckless disregard to his duality of showing as the played Claudio.

Time and again, director Mark Wilson manages to tickle the funny bone, the full width of the Southbank Theatre, The Sumner stage unveiled, as the shenanigans play out.

Racks of costuming are dotted around the blackened perimeters, as back of house staff help the actors navigate frequent quick changes of attire.

The two-storey set by designer Anna Cordingley pays homage to architect Cassandra Fahey’s striking blue house design in St Kilda in the early noughties.

It featured a massive portrait of Baywatch star Pamela Anderson out front and was commissioned by former footballer and media provocateur Sam Newman.

When it comes to costuming, combining the historic and opulent with the contemporary works superbly. Credit goes to costume designer Karine Larche.

The spectacle would not be complete without a heady mix of sound from the irrepressible Joe Paradise Lui and illumination by lighting designer Katie Sfetkidis.

Whether you are a well-versed Shakespeare acolyte or a novice, enjoy the spoils of Much Ado About Nothing, which doesn’t hold back. I loved its boldness.

It is on at Southbank Theatre, The Sumner until 19^th December, 2025.