RSC Much Ado About Nothing- 2025 Review

Who would've thought that a football-themed Shakespeare would actually speak to me? Set in modern day and around Messina FC, Michael Longhurst's Much Ado About Nothing has been polarizing audiences since opening night. Many find this concept to be lazy and obnoxious, lacking nuance and substance, but I have to agree with the creative team that this concept is poignant and timely. Setting Much Ado in a highly glamorized and sexist environment, really allowed for the themes to shine through. This production was flashy, funny, and vibrant, and really tried to make a statement. 

The pre-show really set the tone for the production, with real football match coverage-style narration and the screens showing us the scoreboard and the different player's profiles. The play starts right as Messina FC wins a cup final and the players and owner's family file into the locker room. Longhurst's interpretation trades war for sport, which I thought was a really clever concept. I really have to complement the vision and concept for this production, by setting it in the world of international Football, it allowed for much of the Elizabethan plot to logically fit into the modern world in a way that many other concepts cannot. The scenic design by Jon Bausor was spectacular, with a hot tub-turned-fountain center stage which actors actually used. The costumes were vibrant, also done by Bausor. I especially loved Hero's costume design, it was so fabulous. Perhaps the coolest element was the use of cameras and real-time projections of the footage on stage, designed by Tal Rosner. Actors live-streamed their camera feed to screens around the theatre, as if they were really on a TikTok live, for example. It made the world feel fully developed and immersive, which was really impressive, and it wasn't overused or distracting either, it was a great balance.

The party scene was so much fun, probably one of my favorites aesthetically, I just wish the bull dance was a bit more energetic, it felt a bit flat. Regarding the text, they did make significant modifications to the text to better accommodate the concept, including references to football, social media, and technology. I wasn't super bothered by this, as you might think. I thought it served the production and wasn't too distracting, and I will be saying 'hey Sirrah' to my phone now for the rest of my life. The two hiding/eavesdropping scenes were stupid funny and so well-executed. I died laughing when Hero started singing an original song about herself. 

Freema Agyeman as Beatrice was wonderful, she's a true powerhouse who has such commandment over the language. She was funny, feisty, and endearing, what more could you ask for? One character who I usually don't pay any attention to is Don Pedro, but Oliver Huband was so engaging in this role! Margaret, played by Gina Bramhill, was slaying in the most iconic, but sinister way. I saw Megan Keaveny as Hero, and she was just lovely, bringing so much vibrance to such a small role. I felt a bit lackluster by many of the remaining larger roles, they just fell a bit flat, including Nick Blood as Benedick. He was brilliantly funny, but when facing off with Freema, he just wasn't as strong as her. The vibes across the cast were great, though. It was clear that they were all living in the same world and were truly in it. 

I really enjoyed this production overall. I thought the concept was brilliant, and so beautiful to watch, but I did leave thinking that they had such a great opportunity to make a true commentary on the toxic and sexist culture of football and the media surrounding it, but as the ending approached, it just felt like it fell into place with the rest of the standard productions of Much Ado, and felt a bit slow. It started out so strong, but I was just left wanting a little more of a thesis statement, but perhaps that's just the reality of this play. It's just not realistic in today's world that Hero would take Claudio back, and I think that's really hard to reconcile. I don't agree with the negative reviews this production has received, I thought it was a bold choice, and it worked, but I was left wanting more out of the message and Benedick and Beatrice's relationship.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars