Tag Archives: ELEANOR WORTHINGTON-COX

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

★★★½

Royal Shakespeare Theatre

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

Royal Shakespeare Theatre

★★★½

“a refreshingly funny and modern production”

Much Ado About Nothing is generally considered one of Shakespeare’s best comedies, because it combines elements of robust hilarity with more serious meditations on honour, shame and court politics. In this fun production at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre under the skilful direction of Michael Longhurst (former Artistic Director of the Donmar Warehouse and his RSC directing debut) we see the scandal and glamour of international football as a backdrop to this popular rom-com play, exploring the culture of lads, wags and misogyny.

Messina FC has just won the European Cup for the first time and as we enter the auditorium, Jon Bausor’s cleverly designed thrust stage and 3D football stadium immediately immerses us into the world of social media, sponsorship and branding. Team manager Don Pedro (Olivier Huband), along with his captain, Benedick (yes one of a few amusing changes to the original) and their new star player Claudio (Daniel Adeosun making his RSC debut) are invited to take some well-deserved R&R at a villa belonging to Leonato, (an excellent Peter Forbes) owner of their team and his wife Antonia (a feisty Tanya Franks).

Claudio immediately falls in love with their daughter Hero, and everything is set for the wedding of the year. Beatrice – a sports broadcaster – and Benedick both claim to despise the whole notion of love and marriage, but the others plot to make them fall in love. However, Don John, the manager’s brother has a more malicious plot in mind. He tricks Claudio into believing he saw Hero in a compromising situation on the night before their wedding…

For many, the football stadium is still seen as a male space, so misogyny is set up right from the start. The clever use of interactive social media and the ‘deep fake’ pictures of Hero (Eleanor Worthington-Cox, who has a cracking singing voice) would provoke a modern and relatable sense of anger at her betrayal. This was a fascinating and exciting idea and I was eager to see how it would pan out, but even though there were some clever adjustments to the text and some very funny scenes – especially Leonato’s video call – I felt slightly disappointed at the end of the first act. It felt like the dramatic content had been compromised by its own concept. It was hard to believe that Hero was really that innocent, which meant her cancel culture didn’t have as much emotional weight, especially as she and Claudio seemed to provide the main impetus for the plot out of the two romantic couples, whilst Benedick and Beatrice were the foil and dramatic sub plot. However, the play gathered momentum when Benedick (an exceptional Nick Blood) thoroughly amused us with his slapstick humour, whilst maintaining an endearing vulnerability as he was being tricked by his team mates into falling in love with Beatrice (Freema Agyeman).

It seemed like a play of two halves with the second act being far more relatable, zipping along in its contemporary setting like a well oiled machine. Beatrice’s emotional declaration of love for Benedick was quite heart stopping, before she countered the mood with her witty delivery. One of the highlights of this enjoyable production was the hilarious head of security Dogberry (Antonio Margo) whose comic timing and malapropisms were a masterclass in comedy.

This is a refreshingly funny and modern production of Much Ado About Nothing and worthy of being in the premier league.



MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

Royal Shakespeare Theatre

Reviewed on 22nd April 2025

by Sarah Milton

Photography by Marc Brenner

 

 


 

 

 

More ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ reviews:

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING | ★★★★ | THE RED LION | September 2024
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING | ★★★★ | WATERMILL THEATRE NEWBURY | April 2024
SH!T-FACED SHAKESPEARE®: MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING | ★★★★★ | LEICESTER SQUARE THEATRE | July 2023
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING | ★★★★ | DUKE OF YORK’S THEATRE | February 2023
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING | ★★★ | JACK STUDIO THEATRE | August 2022

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

🎭 A TOP SHOW IN JUNE 2024 🎭

NEXT TO NORMAL

★★★★★

Wyndham’s Theatre

NEXT TO NORMAL at Wyndham’s Theatre

★★★★★

“as close to extraordinary as is physically possible”

Many years ago, as a young father, I often interrupted my children’s playtime by asking what they were doing. They never thought it an intrusion – always happy to answer. One particular day, in response to the question my daughter responded with “I’m trying to be normal”. Five minutes later she had completely forgotten the conversation (possibly the ice cream van, or the urgent matter of shouting at her little brother took precedence), but it lingered with me for some time. I think I had answered in my usual flippant way with something like “join the club” or “aren’t we all?”. I never thought of bursting into song. Decades later the perfect answer is delivered to me from the West End stage.

“I don’t need a life that’s normal
That’s way too far away
But something next to normal
Would be okay
Yes, something next to normal
That’s the thing I’d like to try
Close enough to normal to get by”

When Eleanor Worthington-Cox delivers the lines towards the end of the second act in Tom Kitt’s (Music) and Brian Yorkey’s (book and lyrics) astonishing musical, there’s not a dry eye in the house, yet there’s also a collective feeling of elation that ripples through the auditorium. “Next to Normal” obviously addresses the subject of mental health but it never feels that way. The message (if there is one) or the answer (there isn’t one) runs subliminally beneath a musical that soars to the heights.

Worthington-Cox is Natalie, the daughter to Diana (Caissie Levy) who grapples with her bipolar disorder. In principle it is Diana’s story. A heart-wrenching one. In reality it is everyone’s story. Levy is simply stunning in the lead role, capturing with undiluted precision and sympathy all the highs and lows of her roller-coaster condition, guiding us through the funny moments to the achingly sad and tragic. Levy is surrounded by five other lead players, for this is an ensemble piece. Husband Dan (the magnificent Jamie Parker) battles to understand, often picking up the pieces and trying to get through another day. Initially it all seems normal. The angst-ridden daughter and the waif-like son, Gabe (Jack Wolfe), getting ready for school. But how quickly it all unravels – until the bombshell arrives quite early on. It won’t be long before the whole capital knows the twist, but until then I’m keeping mum.

The medical profession is not so much made fun of, but scrutinised with comic genius by the writers. Trevor Dion Nicholas plays two different doctors – the aptly named Dr. Madden and Dr. Fine – lightening the mood with darkness each time he arrives on stage, littering the space with pill boxes, black humour, dubious cures or just the aura of a Rock God. Another subplot is supplied by the blossoming relationship between Natalie and school chum Henry (Jack Ofrecio) which mirrors the elder couple’s in a frighteningly authentic, cyclical way. Jack Wolfe, of course, is sublimely shadowy as Gabe. Whilst his character is fighting to be seen and not forgotten, there is no denying that the beauty of his voice can be heard near and far and the tones will be remembered for a long time.

The musical will linger in the memory for even longer. The score is magical. One moment light and catchy, another aching and haunting. The manic ‘It’s Gonna be Good’ sits comfortably alongside Levy’s aching rendition of the soaring ‘I Miss the Mountains’. Vulnerability and despair, heartache and longing, love and guilt have all never been served better in song. Interspersed between the numbers are some brilliantly succinct one-liners that sum up decades of medical hypothesis. The fact that they are dressed in cloaks of humour add poignancy to the already impassioned performances. ‘Most people who think they are happy haven’t thought about it enough’

Nobody has to think hard at all to realise that “Next to Normal” is as close to extraordinary as is physically possible. ‘There will be light’, we are told in the uplifting closing number. But it is far from a cloying sentiment, as a tangible question mark still hangs in the air. And for the moment, the light is refracted through tears – of sadness and of joy. Heart-breaking, heart-warming and life-affirming, this musical is more than a must see.


NEXT TO NORMAL at Wyndham’s Theatre

Reviewed on 26th June 2024

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Marc Brenner

 

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

KING LEAR | ★★★★ | October 2023
OKLAHOMA! | ★★★★ | February 2023
LIFE OF PI | ★★★★★ | November 2021

NEXT TO NORMAL

NEXT TO NORMAL

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