Stage Review Much Ado About Nothing The RSC 2025

Cast of Much Ado About Nothing

The RSC

The Royal Shakespeare Theatre 2025

Photograph Marc Brenner

Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Much Ado About Nothing

by William Shakespeare

Directed by Michael Longhurst

This review has much to unwrap!

Longhurst has concocted a modern day version of Much Ado [...] and as the audience files in and are locating their seats they are exposed to a media style presentation of a full on championship style football tournament.

Claudio scores a hat-trick and the commentary and screens celebrate the goals in true tech fashion; through incredible sound and vision the scene is set and the play has not even started yet!

Thankfully the footballing element serves its purpose and does not marshal the characters anymore than is necessary. When the noise around the press interviews, the changing room antics and the after party with the WAGs fades, the structure and character of this dramatic comedy replaces much that has been utilised for metaphorical reasons, allowing this 'old plot' and its delightful prose to cut through.

Background

Claudio is smitten with Hero and is happy that his love is recipricated. An equal main plot story is the romance that we see grow in the subconsciousness of both Benedick and Hero's cousin, Beatrice; some of the funniest moments are attached to this pair.

Pretty quickly the road is leading to a wedding and possibly a double one at that, but we know that the plan is about to fall off a cliff.

Don Pedro's malicious brother, Don John (alongside Borachio and Conrade) create a disparaging falsehood about Hero in order to sabotage her wedding. Claudio falls hook line and sinker for the lie. An intimate, bedroom scene is staged, captured and social media shared as part of a deceit that involves Margaret posing as Hero. Leonato, like Claudio, believes the lie and joins in the public shaming of his daughter.

Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire and so when the truth comes to light to those attached to Leonatos' house, Sexton steps up and uses her authority to devise a plan to expose the perpetrators and restore harmony and most important of all Hero's tarnished reputation.

Comment

Though the first ten minutes or so of the first act is a full on sensory experience it becomes less and less so as the play goes on. Scenes are glossy and bright in forms of costume and props but the lighting becomes more opaque. The music breaks are fun; enjoyable and enhancing. Varying dynamics can mean that it's dancing and low squatting or singing karaoke loudly one minute, then quieter for the dialogue deliveries. Megan Keaveny (Hero) sings a sweet, polished number as her party piece and Nick Cavaliere (Leonato) jokingly clears the room with a rendition of My Way.

Freema Agyeman (Beatrice) and Nick Blood (Benedick)

and Cast of Much Ado About Nothing

The RSC

at The Royal Shakespeare Theatre 2025

Photograph Marc Brenner

Performing the primary characters are Freema Agyeman (Beatrice), who, for a second time is fantastic as a key Shakespearean female character delivering wicked insults to condescending males. And, if one could capture the heart of Benedick and wear it on ones' sleeve (like Nick Blood does with this comedy character) you'd be laughing with him on the way to another top role with the company for sure.

Daniel Adeosun (Claudio), Tanya Franks (Antonia) and Olivier Huband (Don Pedro) breathe life similarly into their characters, as all players do in fact and a must to mention Antonio Magro as Dogberry who just seems to have funny bones.

Pictured Jay Taylor (Borachio), Nick Cavaliere (Leonato), Azan Ahmed (Conrade)

and Antonio Magro (Dogberry)

Much Ado About Nothing

The RSC

at The Royal Shakespeare Theatre 2025

Photograph Marc Brenner

For this performance Assistant Director, Joshua Parr read the role of Seacole because of the indisposition of two main cast members which resulted in a switch around of role play.

None of the smaller parts however are little parts really because the characters all have a big impact in this play.
Such wonderful, self contained performances by: Arthur Wilson (Verges/The Friar/Kitman/ensemble); Flaminia Cinque (Sexton/ensemble); Lydia Fraser (Ursula, ensemble); Posi Morakinyo (Balthasar/Oatcake/ensemble).
All four making their RSC debuts as were all cast members with exception of Cavaliere, Magro, actor Jay Taylor, and, as already mentioned, the hugely talented Agyeman.  

This is a fabulous production, five stars all the way!

**ENDS**

Review by Theatre Critic Debra Hall who attended the filmed performance of Much Ado About Nothing at The Royal Shakespeare Theatre on 08 May 2025 1.15pm


REFERENCES

RSC Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare Printed Programme

Scull, O. Production Photography The RSC (09 May 2025)

Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Much Ado About Nothing Summary

https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/explore-shakespeare/shakespedia/shakespeares-plays/much-ado-about-nothing/

RSC Royal Shakespeare Company Much Ado About Nothing

https://www.rsc.org.uk/much-ado-about-nothing/

BBC Bitesize Characters - AQA

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zsms82p/revision/6

Hall, D. Stage Review Twelfth Night RSC 2024/2025

https://notcompulsory.blogspot.com/2024/12/stage-review-twelfth-night-rsc-20242025.html