This fall’s Broadway season has been a rollercoaster with hit shows like Paranormal Activity, School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play, and A Few Good Men. Recently, a new show has taken the stage at the Winter Garden Theatre. Jamie Lloyd, who is also known for directing the hit Broadway revival of Sunset Boulevard, has now taken on a new show, but this time, it’s not an Andrew Lloyd Webber production. This time, he has tackled William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing featuring leading stars Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell.
The story follows two distinct romantic couples, Claudio and Hero (played by James Phoon and Mara Huf), and Benedick and Beatrice (played by Hiddleston and Atwell), as they navigate love, trickery, and false gossip. Throughout the play, each couple experiences a comic deception about one another that either harms or benefits them. The cast also includes Borachio (Mika Onyx Johnson), Don Pedro (Gerald Kyd), Leonato (Forbes Masson), Friar Francis (Phillip Olagoke), Margaret (Mason Alexander Park), and Don John (Tim Steed).
So, let’s begin by discussing the positives of this show. First of all, every single actor and actress in this show was so comedic and had the best chemistry with one another. Even when they broke the fourth wall and addressed audiences, it felt like a genuine conversation, even if they were speaking in Shakespearean English. However, the one who stole the show for me was Atwell, especially her rendition of the iconic “If I Were A Man” monologue. She not only had everyone gagging, but she also commanded the room. I wanted to give her the biggest standing ovation, but obviously I couldn’t do that during the middle of her moment. Besides that, Hiddleston was hilarious; he kept audiences engaged every single second of the play, even when he wasn’t speaking, he knew how to keep the audience entertained. Also, Phoon and Huf were amazing; while most of our attention was on Hiddleston and Atwell, they elevated the show for me. During their moments as a couple, or even as the plot began to thicken, I enjoyed their portrayal of the characters. Another positive was the atmosphere inside the theater. What I mean by this is that the moment I stepped into the theater, it felt as though I walked into a club, in the best way. They had dance music playing while everyone was finding their seats, which had some people dancing around. Speaking of dancing, they even had the ushers or some of the workers dancing around the aisles either trying to hype up others or trying to get them to dance to the music. It felt nice to be in an atmosphere that encouraged everyone to dance and have a good time.
Now, I’m gonna get into some things I didn’t really enjoy. This may be a me-thing, but I personally don’t mind revivals, as long as they stay true to the source material. Sometimes, Lloyd’s productions feel too modern. For example, in this show, there’s a moment when one of the characters pulls out an iPhone to talk about a rumor spreading. While I do understand that times have changed, I personally am not fond of modern products being used in productions that didn’t even have iPhones, especially Shakespeare. So, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the modernization in this production. Another aspect I’m still not the biggest fan of is the lack of sets within Lloyd’s productions. Obviously, with some it does work, like Sunset Boulevard, but for this, it didn’t work as well. Of course, his style is very minimalist, and it is kind of like a black-box situation where you interpret the setting yourself. There are a few set pieces, like a giant inflatable heart and a table, but that’s it, that’s all you’re getting when it comes to the set. In my opinion, one of the very natures of a Broadway production is the set design. It takes you away from reality and places you into a whole other world. So, sometimes I’m not the biggest fan of minimalist set designs, and for this show it kind of worked, but I personally wasn’t a fan.
Overall, this show was enjoyable, and I would definitely recommend it not only to fans of Hiddleston and Atwell, but also to those who enjoy Shakespearean productions. Not only will you enjoy yourself, but you’ll walk out dancing in the street.