The Globe’s 2024 summer season is off to a flying start with a joyous romp through one of Shakespeare’s much-loved comedies.

Sean Holmes’ production of Much Ado About Nothing is the kind of Shakespeare GCSE English teachers dream about. We are transported to the warm and hazy summer days of sixteenth century Italy, where trees are laden with ripening oranges, noblemen stroll through sun-dappled orchards and evenings are filled with the lively intricacies of dances and music.

Against this rich backdrop, Shakespeare’s lines are delivered with an easy, entertaining comedy, striking a perfect balance between tradition and accessibility. The actors are delightfully cartoonish in their portrayals of flirtation and deceit and the open space of The Globe is used to its full effect as characters enter and exit through the yard, hiding and reappearing amongst audience members.

Much Ado About Nothing is widely considered to be one of Shakespeare’s problem plays. Whilst broadly seen as comedy, it shifts from moments of bawdy, slapstick humour to accusations of deception and infidelity. This production keeps it light, moving quickly through Claudio and Hero’s cancelled wedding and the attacks on female virtue in a punchy second half that lets the blossoming love/hate relationship between Beatrice and Benedick and the self-satisfied comedy of constable Dogberry (Jonnie Broadbent) shine.

Amalia Vitale is effervescent as feisty Beatrice, and as she is tricked into falling in love with Benedick (Ekow Quartey) the pair share a genuine, and often hilarious, connection.

In comparison, the interactions between the central lovers Hero (Lydia Fleming) and Claudio (Adam Wadsworth) feel less natural and the arc of their  relationship is less well-defined.

Overall, this is a light, fun and pacey performance that will appeal to both the purists and the masses. Enjoyable live music throughout includes an accordion, woodwind and percussion and is used to great effect to enhance the emotional drama onstage. Jacquie Davies’ costumes are a pleasure to look at - traditional Elizabethan dress in sunshine-bright colours buoys up the performance with all the trappings of an elaborate period drama. The scene of the masked ball is complete with intricate headdresses that turn the actors into birds, bears and bulls.

I was lucky enough to see Much Ado about Nothing on a warm summer’s evening, but this production could inject some sunshine into even the most dreary London day. It is the kind of theatre for which The Globe was made, a crowd-pleasing delight and a contemporary celebration of the playwright’s brilliance.

Much Ado about Nothing is on at Shakespeare’s Globe until 24 August 2024. Find out more and book tickets here.

Words by Ellen Hodgetts