Review: Much Ado About Nothing, Charterhouse Square

Much Ado About Nothing by the HandleBards is a riotous, full-throttle joyride of a production, staged with irreverent brilliance in one of London’s prettiest hidden gardens: Charterhouse Square. With just four actors, a pop-up gazebo and a few bicycles, this company somehow conjures up the full magic of Shakespeare’s mischievous comedy. The weather was perfect, the gin and tonics were flowing, and the crowd was spellbound.

From the moment the show begins, you know you’re in safe hands. The HandleBards, who tour the country by bicycle, towing their entire set and costume department behind them, are known for their inventive, environmentally sustainable theatre. This new tour is no exception. It’s inventive and unflaggingly funny. Though there are only four performers, the production never feels thin. Quite the opposite. Andrew Armfield, Sarah Bulmer, Emma Hadley-Leonard and William Ross-Fawcett are all dazzlingly skilled performers, leaping from role to role with the aid of handlebars, hats, bananas and wigs. A mop even makes a surprisingly expressive cameo.

The actors’ technique is exceptional. Despite the farcical tone, every word is delivered with clarity and relish. Their projection cuts across the square with ease, their diction razor-sharp, their physical comedy deft and precise. The Shakespearean language is treated with respect but never reverence: this might not be Much Ado as the Bard imagined it, but he, like every single audience member tonight, would surely have roared with laughter.

Audience participation is often a risky gamble, but here it’s part of the show’s warmth. Whether playing minor characters or holding up props, the audience becomes part of the action. There is no awkwardness here, just easy camaraderie. The fourth wall is joyfully shattered and what emerges is an experience closer to a summer party than a traditional play.

The direction by Emma Sampson is ingenious. With minimal props and a small cast, she’s created something truly magical. The show makes brilliant use of everyday items such as picnic rugs, tree branches and cycle handlebars. Even a simple garden gazebo transforms various scenes with comic flair. Nothing is overdone, and yet everything is fully imagined, thought out and cohesive. Composer Guy Hughes contributes original music and lyrics, which are charming, witty and perfectly integrated. The songs, which open and close the show and pop up throughout, are beautifully performed and feel like natural extensions of the action.

What’s most astonishing is that the company’s boundless energy never dips. Many similar style shows struggle to sustain momentum, but not here. The cast fizz with energy until the very end (perhaps helped by the gin in one instance!), playing multiple roles, singing live and managing technical transitions all without a hitch. The result is an experience that feels utterly fresh, thoroughly professional and joyously unpretentious.

The HandleBards have built a loyal following for good reason. Their approach is low-tech, high-skill and utterly addictive. Much Ado About Nothing might be one of Shakespeare’s most-performed plays, but you won’t see it done like this anywhere else. They’re travelling the UK all summer so seek them out and bring a blanket, a picnic and some friends. You’re in for a real treat.

Directed by Emma Sampson
Associate Directed by Mark Collier
Written by William Shakespeare
Designed by Connie Watson-Mawle
Composed and Musical Directed by Guy Hughes
Choreography by Sophie Steel
Fight Direction by Tom Jordan
Costume & Set Making by Lucy Green
Produced by Tom Dixon, Paul Moss, and Will Orton

Much Ado About Nothing has concluded its run at the Charterhouse Square, but the HandleBards are taking this production on the road across the UK and Germany until Thursday 18 September.