Review: Dazzling and innovative interpretation of Much Ado About Nothing at Crucible Theatre is a joy to behold

While the witty dialogue arising from Benedick and Beatrice’s spectacular sparring has long been one of the biggest draws of William Shakespeare’s beloved comedy, it has stiff competition in the fantastic new production from Sheffield Theatres and Ramps on The Moon, directed by Robert Hastie.

The innovative integration of creative sign language, audio description and captioning both harnesses and elevates the visual nature of The Bard’s incomparable dialogue.

The large-scale production, which arrived at The Crucible on September 9 and will be taken to locations including Leeds, Nottingham and Stratford, has a mixture of deaf, neurodiverse, disabled and non-disabled performers.

Characters such as Margaret, played by an enthralling Laura Goulden, relay important pieces of dialogue to the play’s heroine, Claire Wetherall’s wide-eyed Hero, through British Sign Language; and also, on occasion, acts as her mouthpiece.

The way in which Margaret’s personal take on the conversations is expressed and imprinted on her communication with Hero transforms her into the sort of omniscient – and at times unreliable – narrator that typified some of Shakespeare’s most famous plays.

The world that Much Ado inhabits is one in which eavesdropping takes place with virtually every conversation, often to comedic effect.

And so, the conspiratorial way in which British Sign Language is used for much of the play while characters react to conversations they have overheard makes for an intelligent and astute interpretation.

Despite what fans of Fleabag may think, breaking the fourth wall to convey hidden emotions and create an increased level of intimacy between a character and their audience was not invented by Phoebe Waller-Bridge; and was actually used by the Bard himself in Richard III.

The BSL performers in this production, not only repeatedly break the fourth wall with flawless timing, but also act as a stand-in for the audience, reacting as you imagine you would in the same circumstances.

This production of Much Ado About Nothing revels in its use of modern flourishes, such as emphasising contemporary idioms nestled within Shakespeare’s dialogue, which made the audience roar with laughter several times.

These flourishes were used to the best effect to represent the differences in the romances between Hero and Claudio, played to naive perfection by Taku Mutero, and that of Beatrice and Benedick.

Although there are some sweet moments, Hero and Claudio’s relationship is a transactional and firmly-Elizabethan one, defined by archaic gender roles of the chaste bride whose virtue is called into question and the white knight that wins his leading lady after a modicum of reflection and personal growth.

This is represented both through their faithful Shakespearian dialogue and physically and tangibly by their comparatively traditional clothing.

But the equal partnership and sparkling repartee that characterises the relationship of Daneka Etchells and Guy Rhys’ endlessly charismatic Beatrice and Benedick is one which feels entirely current.

And this is symbolised through sartorial touches such as Daneka’s pairing of a colourful Lucy and Yak jumpsuit with Converse, and Guy’s cool Nike kicks, worn with a stylish suit; and occasional use of slang.

This is a dazzling and engaging production with a fantastic and memorable ensemble cast.

It runs until September 24 at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre.

To book please click here.