REVIEW: Freewill Shakespeare a Laugh Riot at the Fringe
Shakespeare is not easy to do. Nearly every big play been done and redone countless times, and the language is not necessarily accessible for everyone. Wherefore use such convoluted dialogue?
That’s part of why David Horak’s re-imagining of Much Ado About Nothing by the Freewill Players at the Fringe is a breath of fresh air.
At this year’s downsized theatre festival, the show opens with a quick commentary on masks and vaccination. Sarah Feutl (who plays Beatrice, Claudio, and a Sexton) is first on the stage, followed by her castmates, each of whom she asks if they prefer her to wear a mask or not. Everyone mentions they’re double vaxxed, so no. This is a smart way to manoeuver the possibly controversial act of acting in close contact with others during an ongoing pandemic. The show starts seamlessly after this.
Every aspect of the show hits the mark. Horak included only exactly the most important and entertaining parts of the original play. His directing alongside the acting makes the story easy to follow. The set is simple and adjustable depending on the setting, also easily identifiable through the magic of sound and lighting. Strobe lights and instrumentals of pop songs such as Bad Guy and Side to Side play to indicate the party scene. Normally the contemporization of a classic play might be corny – or just plain bad – but not this time.
The costuming is clever, just one or two articles of clothing indicating which character is which, since each cast member plays multiples. Christina Nguygen switches between Hero, Don John, and Dogberry completely convincingly with nothing but a slight change in speech and a coat. Having men play men and women, and women playing both men and women is a smart choice – makes it easier to keep track of who’s who.
The acting is strong wherever you sit in the theatre, the subtleties and not-so-subtleties laugh-out-loud funny. A roll of the eyes, or a dance with an unworn jacket and pair of glasses charms the audience equally. People laughed at all the right times. There were one or two mic malfunctions that were without consequences at the show I attended; the actors didn’t so much as flinch, and their voices carried well without the mics anyway. My one and only wish is that the off-stage cast members were not visible to the audience. It was slightly distracting and not obvious whether this was a conscious choice, given the venue.
Best of all, though, it looks like the cast is having a lot of fun on stage; their energy and attitude are contagious – making for a delightful show. Much Ado About Nothing plays through Aug. 21, outdoors at the Nordic Light Horse Park. Check the Fringe program for details.
Top photo by Marc J Chalifoux
