Before there was Lois and Clark, Hepburn and Tracy or David and Maddie, there was Beatrice and Benedick. Shakespeare’s comedy, Much Ado About Nothing, now being staged at the Folger Theatre, gave us the original archetypes who proved that if a couple doesn’t wittily express their initial hatred before eventually realizing they’re nuts about each other, they’re really not all that interesting to watch.
And Folger’s duo is certainly more than interesting enough to keep your attention. Kate Eastwood Norris and P.J. Sosko prove to be delightfully sizzling foils for each other. While the play’s main plot centers around John the Bastard’s attempt to thwart a marriage between Hero and Claudio, most of the play’s humor comes from the other players trying to trick the stubborn Beatrice and Benedick into letting their guards down and falling for each other. Eastwood Norris balances perfectly Beatrice’s many contradictions, making her simultaneously elegant and crass, formidable and vulnerable. And Sosko is a flippant, manic Benedick, less lothario and more comedic burst of energy. His sometimes flirty, sometimes frustrated asides to the audience ignore the fourth wall, but ultimately endear him to us further. By bringing out the worst in each other, they bring out the best in each other, and when they ultimately acquiesce to their feelings, it’s more than satisfying.
Though the Beatrice/Benedick tension is the show’s core, Folger’s Much Ado offers other pleasures. One is Tiffany Fillmore’s Hero, who’s a saucier and steelier take on what is normally a throwaway, ingénue character. Another is Jim Jorgensen’s leering, Snidley Whiplash-esque John the Bastard, who is more than a little over-the-top, but his exaggerated villainy helps us through the more tedious intrigue scenes by allowing us to focus on the fact that this play is, ultimately, a comedy. The cast’s only sour note is Dean Alai’s rather wooden Claudio – granted, the character isn’t really a complex one to begin with, but Alai’s earnestness sounds more rehearsed than it should, and his more tortured moments fall flat.
Setting the play in post-World War II England neither adds nor detracts significantly from the piece, besides providing the opportunity for a couple jazzy dance sequences. But even with the modern setting, the Folger’s intimate space, Globe-like appearance and general Bard-worshipping feel never makes you forget the play’s roots.
Much Ado About Nothing runs from Oct. 20-Nov. 27 at the Folger Theatre. Tickets range from $30-49 and are available by calling 202/544-7077 or online.
