Much Ado About Nothing review – a riot of romcom energy at the Globe

Chelsea Walker's production of "Much Ado About Nothing" at Shakespeare's Globe has become a summer hit, full of romcom energy. Pippa Nixon as Beatrice and Ken Nwosu as Benedick deliver sparkling verbal sparring and flirtation. The production features gorgeous music, dance, and costumes in warm pinks, light greys, and lemon yellows. Richard Katz as Dogberry and his security guards provide vigorous clowning even in extended scenes. A live band effectively shifts the atmosphere with drum-like sounds and nervous violin.

However, the review notes that the production avoids leaning into the play's problematic elements. The animal masks in Act Two (Beatrice as an eagle, Hero as a lamb) hint at dark fairy tale but are underdeveloped. The aborted wedding scene includes a powerful moment of physical humiliation involving a multi-tiered cake, but the resolution feels too swift. Beatrice's outrage and Hero's pain are not fully conveyed. Some unexpected kisses (Don John and Borachio, a messenger and Beatrice) suggest sexual attraction but feel random. The production's abstract modernity does not resonate fully with contemporary issues of false accusations against women. Overall, it is crowd-pleasing, charming, and worth seeing.