Creation Theatre are back with an open-air production of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. Daily Info sat down with them to discuss the show and what audiences can expect from this 80s-set take on one of the Bard's best comedies.
Daily Info: What's Much Ado About Nothing all about?
Creation Theatre: Love, wit, and joy—there's a lot of banter from two people who don't want to admit they're in love. But we know they are, and that they'll work it out in the end. There's also a slightly darker side about what happens when we don't trust those we love.
DI: What can audiences expect from Creation's take on the show?
CT: The South Oxford Adventure Playground is a stunning site – so expect an enchanting summer night out with a cold drink, a setting sun and some twinkling lights.
Our director, Helen Tennison has directed many of Creation’s most successful shows, particularly our summer Shakespeare’s. Here’s how she described the production: “Much like its witty central characters, Much Ado is a playful, boisterous show with hidden depths. War and jealousy form the backdrop to love and romance. So, I've set this Much Ado in the 1980s, a time of outrageous fashion, yuppie optimism and underlying political instability. We have a fabulous cast of six actors playing Beatrice, Benedick and the other four actors play a madcap whirlwind of twelve roles between them. So expect slapstick, shoulder pads and banging 80s tracks with a sensitive soul.”
DI: What does Much Ado and the Bard in general offer a modern audience?
CT: Much Ado is one of Shakespeare’s most relatable comedies – we can recognise so much of our own foibles and relationships in the characters. It is incredible to think we can still laugh about the same things over 400 years later. The backdrop of war, against which people are trying to plough on with their lives and find joy in each other, is sadly still prescient.
And the language in the play is exquisite. Wonderful words to hear on a summer night (and Shakespeare inventing for the very first time quite a few phrases and words that are now fundamental parts of our language).
DI: How is Creation doing after the Pandemic? What lessons did you learn and is it good to be back doing Shakespeare in an open air setting?
CT: Well, it hasn’t been easy. But we tried to find the opportunities in the midst of it all and be innovative and positive. We swiftly transitioned to online work and produced 13 digital shows, reaching an audience of over 15,000. Our achievements were acknowledged in The Stage Top 100, and we were featured in the DCMS "Boundless Creativity Report." Lucy Askew, our former Chief Executive, was shortlisted as the Digital Culture Awards "Emerging Digital Leader." So we managed to stay creative (it's in the name!) and to keep many freelancers working.
But we really missed our in peron audiences and our community in Oxfordshire. It is amazing to be back to making live work and gathering people to enjoy a night out. This is our first post-pandemic summer Shakespeare show; we’re really looking forward to seeing so many of our regular audiences again, and building new audiences.
DI: Can you sum the show up in three words?
CT: Joyful, life-affirming, naughty.
Much Ado About Nothing performs at the South Oxford Adventure Playground from 12th July to 19th August.