Intermission Youth Theatre continues its tradition of radical takes on Shakespeare with
Colourfully staged, stunningly performed and very funny
True to the original, the action of the play takes place in Messina, now transformed into a 21st-century holiday destination and party island to match Ibiza. First off the flight are the girls, complete with suitcases, stunning outfits and minds set on ‘sun, sea, sand and snorkling’. Right! Within minutes the lads arrive. Promotor Leon has invited Don P and the Aragon boys, Benedick and Claudio, onto his turf, not knowing that his younger sister, Hero, and fiery cousin Beatrice, have also just checked in. When Claudio locks eyes with Hero, it’s love at first sight but with “zero game” he must persuade Don P to help him win her love. However, DJ, (Don P’s illegitimate and jealous sibling) plots to deceive Claudio into believing Hero is unfaithful and chaos ensues. Meanwhile, Don P, convinced that Benedick and Beatrice are secretly in love, musters up a plan to get them together.
Confused? Yes. And that is just the start of Shakespeare’s convoluted comedy of errors, dare one say? In a classical production, striving to understand its complexity might matter, and that is not to say it’s unimportant here, but ultimately there is so much joyous theatre going on, that it’s a minor detail. If a stage full of young people immersed in their roles meaningfully reciting the verbiage of the Bard interspersed with contemporary street talk be the food of theatre, give me excess of it, man.
Will Claudio get his girl? Will DJ ruin the party? Will Beatrice and Benedick hook up? Who cares? Here the medium, under the bold direction of Nana Antwi-Nyanin, is the message. Intermission’s Artistic Director, Darren Raymond, says, ‘I wrote Much Ado About Nothing Remixed because that’s what I do, I remix Shakespeare. In many ways the world has moved on since the Elizabethan days, but some unhelpful attitudes and ways of thinking still exist. This remix interrogates love, deception, misogyny, and gender through a 21st century, young London lens.’ Thus the company remains faithful to Shakespeare’s intention of using a medium that speaks to ordinary people in their own language.
And for those who perform, the experience is transformative. Read the testimonials of Intermission actors whose lives have been changed beyond their wildest dreams since discovering that the timeless themes of the Bard are about them. Don't miss this opportunity to experience a colourfully staged, stunningly performed and very funny adaptation of this classic and to support those who have been the beneficiaries of the company’s endeavours “to improve their mental health, social skills, life outcomes and outlook on their ambitions”.
