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Pros: Features a super confident cast delivering performances that linger in the memory.
Cons: Although billed as a re-imagined version of Much Ado About Nothing, I Know You Of Old predictably relies on Shakespearean prose. While a stripped down version of Shakespeare may not satisfy the purists, I Know You Of Old is nevertheless a strong reimagining of a much performed play.
Summary
Stars
Excellent
With Hero represented only by a coffin, the piece is reduced to just three characters; no Don Pedro, Leonato or mischievous constables Dogberry and Verges, as all other characters are jettisoned from the plot. So the traditional context of the play is discarded, allowing greater focus on the relationship between Beatrice, Benedick and Claudio. By and large, this works reasonably well but David Fairs falls back on Shakespeare’s original text to create a parallel dark comedy. No bad thing in itself, but the promotional blurb suggested a reimagined adaptation. I was (naively) hoping for contemporary dialogue but the production only hinted at modernity by including Cher’s If I Could Turn Back Time, a version of Chris Isaak’s Wicked Game and A-ha’s Take On Me, the latter of which formed a backdrop to one of the funniest sequences in the play.
That bugbear aside, the cast were brilliant, with all three actors playing off each other to great effect. David Fairs was excellent as Benedick, looking strangely cool in shades and a leather jacket (in a sweltering performance area!). Ditto Conor O’Kane as Claudio and Sarah Lambie was sensational as Beatrice, expertly reattaching her braces without missing a line!
Adapted By: David Fairs
Original Author: William Shakespeare
Director: Anna Marsland
Producer: Golem!
Box Office: 033 3666 3366
Booking Link: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/event/169594
Booking Until: 1 July 2017
