The Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre has gone back to its origins for the 2018 season by returning to a Shakespeare classic which formed part of the very first line-up in 2010.
When Much Ado About Nothing was staged back then, the open air arena was very much a makeshift one that did little more than cordon off part of the city beauty spot until the temporary but now so fondly regarded theatre in the round structure became such a feature of a Chester summer a couple of years later.
The fact the decision was taken to return to the play for its ninth season rather than make it a feature point of the imminent 10th anniversary only proves that you don’t need to contrive an excuse to revive what is arguably the Bard’s most audience-pleasing and accessible romantic comedy.
It is the perfect play for the perfect setting and a packed crowd on Friday night braved an unseasonably chilly evening and the threat of rain to watch a typically talented cast turn up the heat with the help of one of the canon’s most passionate depictions of affairs of the heart.
Director Bill Buckhurst makes his GPOAT debut here and, truth be told, it takes a little while for the production to pick up the pace and catch the rhythm of the scintillating dialogue and lusty action but when it does, my goodness it sweeps you up with its charm and energy and leaves you breathless by the exhilarating climax.
As the warring reluctant lovers Beatrice and Benedick, Emily Pithon and Alex Mugnaioni really hit their stride in the brilliantly staged sequences where their scheming friends ensure they each overhear in turn how much the other loves them.
Because these scenes are so close together and have an identical goal, it requires some ingenuity to avoid a sense of repetition and Buckhurst achieves this magnificently thanks to some glorious slapstick from Mugnaioni and a generous soaking suffered by Pithon!
Unlike many other versions of this gem, Buckhurst realises the inherent absurdity of virtuous Hero (Claudia Grant) pretending to literally die of shame when she is the victim of a nefarious plot by nasty Donna Joanna (Lucy Keirl in one of two key gender swaps in this production) to prevent Hero’s wedding to the heroic Claudio (Mitesh Soni).
He plays it for laughs as much as he can even in the face of the alarming speech by Hero’s father Leonato (Ian Harris) in which he declares it would be better if she did drop dead rather than bring shame on her family.
But this development does allow the scene stealing triumph of the night to take centre stage in the second gender swap of the production which sees Laura Dalgliesh win every heart in the house with the most skilfully comedic portrayal of law enforcement officer Dogberry I have ever seen (and I have seen a fair few!).
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Using her Welsh accent and brassy feminity, her flirting with a number of the male characters was a constant delight and had everyone present in fits of laughter.
I must also single out James Weaver whose unfailing charisma, energy and enthusiasm brought an added dimension to the often staid character of Don Pedro.
In keeping with what is becoming an honorable tradition at the Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre, the exuberant climax of another joyous show under the stars brought virtually everyone in the audience to their feet in an explosion of cheers and applause.
