Much Ado About Nothing
Logie Steading, Moray
One of Shakespeare’s wittiest comedies, a clear evening under a stunning sunset at the Logie Estate in the Highlands, performed by a small but vibrant company who can deliver the goods. What not to like? So agreed by the hundred strong audience who turned out with their picnic chairs and rugs. Despite the midges all stayed and cheered after a lively two and half hours of Elizabethan fun. Written in 1598/9, between ‘The Merry Wives of Windsor’ and ‘As You Like It’, Shakespeare was on a winning streak before tackling ‘Henry V’. For starters, the title was a double pun. ‘Nothing’ and ‘Noting’ pronounced identically were eavesdropping and observing. A lot of the action depends on those two. Secondly ‘Nothing’ and ‘Something’ were euphemisms for the female and male genitalia. The title conveys sly jokes and sexual shenanigans, rumour, and impeding violence, everything an audience could desire at the Globe and in popular television today. And of course, Shakespeare’s genius in creating the ordinary comic man and his hapless band. Dogberry, the local constable, and his watch could be reincarnated by the same actors as Pistol or Shallow in ‘Henry IV part 2’ or Bottom and the Mechanicals in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.
The plot is convoluted and peopled with heroes, villains, and lovers. The most memorable are Benedick and Beatrice, who clearly despise each other with some of the wittiest ripostes in all of Shakespeare’s plays. Roles which have made their mark, having been performed by many of our finest actors of our time. Starting with Garrick in 1748 at Drury Lane, Irving’s shining Lyceum revival in 1882, and with a series of revivals at the Old Vic and Stratford. Gielgud, Peggy Ashcroft, Donald Sinden and Judi Dench, Janet McTeer and Mark Rylance, Alan Bates and Felicity Kendall and an extended run in New York Central Park with Kevin Kline and Blythe Danner and Kenneth Branagh’s 1993 film with his then wife Emma Thompson.
Putting aside this luminous past, Illyria with only five in the cast did the play justice. Not a judicious edit in sight, with lightning costume changes and an ingenious set on small stage in the field, with no amplified sound they delivered a sound production. Even the younger members of the audience watched with intent. Diction was clear as a bell and even an echo could be heard in the natural valley of the Steading. No need for the subtitles that many current television productions require currently.
The cast played it for summer fun ignoring the darker side of the action. The request by Beatrice, ‘Kill Claudio!’, was played for comic effect with a standout performance by Nicola Fairfax. Her grief at learning of Hero’s death lifted her performance to another level. Benedick played by David Sayers was an unlikely match for her but pulled it off. Rachel O’Hare played Dogberry on full throttle and the cast managed to fulfil all sixteen parts with energy and commitment.
Organised by Panny Laing, who farms her herd of Longhorn Cattle on the fields surrounding the steading, with Gavin Dallmeyer, garden designer, have re-created the original Grant gardens into a one which is recognised as one of Scotland’s finest gardens. Panny has bravely invited Illyria to perform every year, bringing a cultural vibe to this beautiful area of Morayshire. All this without public funding or support from the ‘great and the good’. Proper philanthropy. We dearly need more if the Arts are to survive out of the golden triangles.
If you fancy a trip to this part of the world then Illyria are back with ‘The Further Adventures of Dr Dolittle’ and Gilbert and Sullivan’s ‘HMS Pinafore’ on the 19th August.
All details and tickets on their website.
