Last weekend we went to an outdoor performance of Much Ado About Nothing at Stafford Castle. This year was the 25th year that Stafford Council has sponsored a Shakespeare performance at the castle and this year is the first time we have attended a performance. Having seen Shakespeare performances in the past at Stratford, and London and on film and TV productions we did not realise just how entertaining the pro-am cast would make the performance. The production was as good as any we have seen and we think that we will be attending annually from now on.
The play setting was in the early years of the twentieth century, at the end of the Second World War. To warm -up the audience there was a pre-show entertainment featuring songs from the period and of course the audience were encouraged to join in - a bit like panto. The quality of musicianship of the actors was a bonus - the fourteen actors, they all seemed to be able to play and sing - accompanying the audience participation on a wide variety on instruments.
Once the play proper started, it was true to the script and many of the phrases we recognised, not realising that they were from Shakespeare. The actors brought out the comedy, making the plot easy tó follow.
When the interval came we had time to walk up the hill to the foot of the castle and enjoy the view from the high vantage point.
1 comment:
What a wonderful piece of theatre! I sometimes forget how rewarding it is to see live performances, even if you've already seen something on TV or read it in book form.
Post a Comment