Much Ado About Nothing interprets Shakespeare as battling contemporary music bands entwined in furious matchmaking with hilarious and close to tragic consequences.
Presented by Shoreside Theatre, this being the 30th anniversary of Shakespeare in the Park. Directed by Michelle Atkinson who maintains a lively and effervescent atmosphere throughout.
As in past productions, the outdoor amphitheatre is an ideal setting to recreate some of ambience of the original Globe Theatre. The audience becoming the groundlings and being drawn into the surrounds of the central stage.
The advance publicity and the fliers handed out to the audience identify two groups, the Florentines and the Deformed. Posters and billboards around the venue reinforce the illusion.
The wardrobe on display plays a big part in setting the initial premise of this interpretation. This would be a night of Goth and post-Punk party ravers at the Double Whammy Bar. Both male and female have make-up to look outrageously androgynous. This would not be much different to Shakespeare’s time, truth be told.
Much Ado About Nothing is set in Messina, a seaside port town of Sicily. The dialogue is mostly preserved to my ears, so the storyline of soldiers returning from a campaign still illuminates the story.
Leonato’s House is the pub venue which occupies stage left. In the original play Leonato (Greg Campbell) is the Governor of Messina.
It is his daughter Hero (Grace Blackwell) who starts proceedings as the first romantically entwined couple, as she catches the gaze and heart of returning soldier/ Florentine band member and songwriter Claudio (Kierron Diaz-Campbell).
Theirs is a mischievous minor intrigue as aging Punk musician Don Pedro (Daniel Moore) acts as the go-between to woo Hero in disguise, on behalf of the younger and more timid Claudio.
Don Pedro is a prince in the original reading. Here he is the head of music label Prince Records. Things take a much darker tone with this relationship in the last third of the tale.
The central couple are Benedick (Jack Powers) and Beatrice (Heather Warne). Of course, they are not a couple at all but are warring factions with scathing barbs and poison tongue lashes at each other.
Benedick is a staunch bachelor with a gruff exterior and Beatrice is his equivalent in female form. A large part of the play hinges on the slow melting of hearts which becomes inevitable as their sparring gets wittier and more lambasting.
These two bring sturdy performances which anchor this production.
Though the romance of Hero and Claudio is not as heated, it takes on a darker turn when Claudio is tricked into believing he has been deceived regards the chastity of Hero, by the machinations of Don Pedro’s illegitimate brother Don Jon (Asha O’Connor– Palacious), employing the use of a scoundrel Borachio (El Boasman).
Claudio rejects Hero on her wedding day. Her father is mortified. They both wish her banished. There is a final twist where Hero’s integrity is restored but the comedy has been scorched away towards something like vengeful wrath.
The emotional heft of the play is recentred. But it by no means a spoiler to say rightful couples are restored, as this is telegraphed right the way through with our God’s eye perspective. An ensemble cast concert breaks out to finish the show.
Much Ado About Nothing has been reimagined as a Punk and Goth music storyline if mainly in costume and makeup, but much humour stems from that. It does retain its original story line and that gives it it’s lasting impact.
Rev. Orange Peel
Shakespeare in the Park is playing from 16 January to 14 February 2026. Tickets from the Pumphouse Theatre, Takapuna