This past weekend Bard on the Beach kicked off their 21st annual yearly summer fling in the infamous white tents at Vanier Park and I was fortunate enough to catch the premier show of Shakespeare’s comedy, Much Ado About Nothing. Much Ado About Nothing directed by Dean Paul Gibson is one of two shows playing on the mainstage at Bard this season alongside Anthony & Cleopatra, with Falstaff (Henry IV parts I & II) and Henry V playing on the more intimate studio stage. Performances started last week and run until the end of September (25th). Each spring my excitement builds throughout May knowing that the upcoming Bard on the Beach season is just around the corner and this year is definitely guaranteed to leave audiences in awe, and yearning for more.

I was particularly excited for this season as I have yet to see any of the four shows playing this season, guaranteeing my ability to learn something new and experience Shakespeare in its finest. Before I begin my review, I want to start with this simple statement, Much Ado About Nothing is the best Bard on the Beach production I have ever seen in my brief history of attendance, with 2008’s performance of Romeo and Juliet coming in a close second. The exquisite cast for Much Ado is like none other before, spanning age and race, to create the perfect mesh of acting and singing talent that I have ever witnessed assembled on a Vancouver stage. Yes, that is a very bold statement and I have see some brilliant Shakespearean performances; however, this one has a slight personal twist that pushes this production into the top spot.

A brief synopsis of the play’s plot; Romance and matchmaking abound when the men return victorious from war. While friends devise many plans to trick the fiercely independent Beatrice and Benedick into admitting their love for each other, Hero and Claudio make idealistic wedding plans. Shakespeare places Don John, a ‘plain-dealing villain’ into this world of courtship, light-hearted mischief and wit. Isolated from the fun, he is determined to destroy it. In the end, it is the hilariously bumbling Constable Dogberry and his Watch who save the day.

The following list of cast deserve unique praise as each of their performances were exquisite, riveting and paired perfectly to reap the strengths from each actor/actress;

The most stunning female award goes to Almeera Jiwa playing Hero – Jiwa’s natural beauty shone through in the epic female character, Shakespeare’s Hero. Daughter of Leonato (played by Gerry MacKay), Hero is one of the most elegant and carefree beauties ever crafted by the great play-write. Jiwa’s ability to stand out from the crowd amongst the rest of the bold (and larger-than-life) personalities is the perfect demonstration of her acting talents and female prowness.

The scene stealing award goes to Jennifer Lines playing Beatrice. Her ability to adapt to her surroundings (not always an easy task with the open-theatre concept at Bard) is astounding, and added to the humour of the tale as she integrated unwanted external sirens into one of her many monologues. I was desperately gripped and pulled to the edge of my seat each time she took to the stage, mesmerized and entertained. Beautiful, emotional, charismatic and enthralling are just a few of the descriptive words that I can pull together off the top of my head to describe Jennifer Lines; the perfect casting in a brilliant role.

Second only to Lines in the scene-stealing category is John Murphy playing Benedick. The dominant comedian of the troop takes command of the stage from the first minute he steps foot into view and constantly drags the attention back to his figure as he executes line after line perfectly. Kudos to a job well done at modernizing Shakespeare’s comedy for the most simplest to understand and enjoy.

The dashingly handsome male award goes to Martin Sims playing Don Pedro – the perfect masculine character embodied by an elegantly handsome man definitely drew an eye or two in his direction. His ability to pull off a curled moustache is also uncanny. This adaptation of the character was the perfect compliment to stage companion, Claudio (played by Gaelan Beatty).

As mentioned above, Gaelan Beatty plays the lead character Claudio, who is betrothed to marry dear Hero and is worthy of receiving the stand-out actor award. Gaelan’s use of character development through spoken word and song is utterly stunning. From the utmost happiness to lowest grievances felt by Claudio throughout the course of the storyline, the audience is taken on a deep journey of emotion combined perfectly with a hint of humour to keep the smiles on our face. An important side note, I went to university with Gaelan at the University of British Columbia, and we lived on the same floor in residence in 2002-2003. I can personally attest to the brilliance of this man both on and off the stage, and he is a force to be reckoned with. His amazing portrayal of Claudio is a solid guarantee of his face in the future of acting and a name in the lights.

What more can I say other than this is a MUST SEE at this year’s Bard on the Beach. You are guaranteed to enjoy yourself! If you haven’t planned to see this show, change your plans! Literally, one of the most stunning portrayals of Shakespeare this decade!

For additional show information including dates, time and ticket purchasing, check out the Bard on the Beach website: www.bardonthebeach.org

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