Much Ado About Nothing
Jul. 26th, 2014 10:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
smallhobbitWe went to see the Globe Touring's production of Much Ado About Nothing being performed in the Chapter Hall of Worcester Cathedral. It was there as one of the items during the week long Three Choirs Festival. And therefore slightly ironic that the only thing we're going to see in this year's festival is a non-choral and predominantly non-musical work. Since it's a Globe production there is some music, singing and dancing, but not what really counts in a music festival. We'd gone because I like to get to a touring performance by the Globe every year and this was a good opportunity.
It can't be easy travelling from place to place, having to unpack the set and get organised in a matter of hours. We arrived in time to have an ice cream before the performance and watched as they moved the van away, so clearly had only recently finished their preparations. Having been on outdoor sites for a while the actors had to adjust to the acoustics indoors, with the added complication that the Chapter Hall wasn't designed for such performances, originally having been where the monks would eat their meals. There were some problems hearing the actors, whilst at the same time some of them were too loud.
The performance itself was excellent. Knowing the plot helped. Some of the action was lost when the actors knelt down, due to the seating arrangements, but this didn't happen very often. Emma Pallant, who played Beatrice, shone for me. She managed to convey so much, not only by her words, but her actions and just a simple facial expression. Another actor I particularly liked was Chris Starkie, who combined the smaller roles of Don John and Dogberry extremely well. With a cast of eight, inevitably there were a number of roles that were doubled up, with probably the best being Leonato (Hero's father) doubling as the maid Ursula.
It can't be easy travelling from place to place, having to unpack the set and get organised in a matter of hours. We arrived in time to have an ice cream before the performance and watched as they moved the van away, so clearly had only recently finished their preparations. Having been on outdoor sites for a while the actors had to adjust to the acoustics indoors, with the added complication that the Chapter Hall wasn't designed for such performances, originally having been where the monks would eat their meals. There were some problems hearing the actors, whilst at the same time some of them were too loud.
The performance itself was excellent. Knowing the plot helped. Some of the action was lost when the actors knelt down, due to the seating arrangements, but this didn't happen very often. Emma Pallant, who played Beatrice, shone for me. She managed to convey so much, not only by her words, but her actions and just a simple facial expression. Another actor I particularly liked was Chris Starkie, who combined the smaller roles of Don John and Dogberry extremely well. With a cast of eight, inevitably there were a number of roles that were doubled up, with probably the best being Leonato (Hero's father) doubling as the maid Ursula.
