In Theatre III’s world-premiere performance of Much Ado About Love by writer/director David Nanto, Shakespeare gets a makeover with polyester pants, a ponytail and a beehive. This production, which feels bound for many more stages than this one, is an entirely original story compiled exclusively from lines from Shakespeare’s sonnets and plays, borrowing heavily, of course, from his comedies. Every word is Shakespeare’s, yet Nanto’s story and Theatre III’s ensemble deftly peel back any obscurities of language or meaning. The result is a heady comic mashup as accessible to ten year-olds as it will be delightful to literary buffs. Theatergoers who find Shakespeare stuffy need not fear.
Three friends, Peter, Derek, and Luke arrive at a hotel in Padua for a three-month stay, vowing to devote themselves to the joys of learning, and swearing to abstain from women, wine, and the pleasures of the table. Their resolve is quickly sabotaged by the arrival of two charmingly eligible cousins, Kate and Emma, to their hotel. Olivia, their hostess, conceives a strategy of staging a play to keep everyone entertained. When wooing and rehearsal intertwine, incriminating confusions and jealousies are bound to follow. It takes more than a little conspiracy to repair Cupid’s aim and set wounded hearts to rights.
Set in 1960’s Italy and deliciously costumed, the production sparkles like sherbet spritzer. The ensemble cast fizzes with ebullient energy as they fling themselves headlong into love’s turbulent waters. And fling themselves, they do – the physical comedy is unrelenting, and audiences may wonder how the performers can still move after taking such beatings. Period folk music adds an unexpected garnish, with actors playing guitar, and female leads proving themselves charming chanteuses.
Delightfully familiar and wonderfully new, this high-spirited show will be broadly appealing to theatergoers of all ages. Witty, sophisticated, yet family-friendly, this world-premiere is a must-see.
