VIDEO: Much Ado About Nothing Featured As Digital Theatre Director's Cut

The 2011 production of Much Ado About Nothing starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate was recently the focus of Digital Theatre's regular feature, Director's Cut. Digital Theatre host the digital upload of the play, recorded live before an audience at London's Wyndham's Theatre, which can be downloaded to stream or own

Back in December, Mark Modzelewski, director of the independent theatre company Torchlight Collective, took a look at Josie Rourke’s "..vivacious and confident production..." of the play and gave his thoughts on David and Catherine's performances.

Watch a newly released clip here;

“…David Tennant and Catherine Tate don’t disappoint,” says Modzelewski. “They are both up for the task, and although they may not have the sexual chemistry, both deliver a brilliant sparring of wits. Tennant brings a more nuanced performance to the table, showing off his impressive range; successfully handling the rhetoric of the first half of the production and the depth and danger of the second half. He also mixes in plenty of physical comedy, especially in the scene where he ‘discovers’ Beatrice is in love with him. As soon as [he] arrives on stage in a golf cart, we see that this officer has a lot in common with Alan Alda's Hawkeye from M*A*S*H, apart from his disdain for amore and a greater capacity to make a fool of himself. And from the moment that Hero is repugnantly slandered at her own wedding, we begin to see a change in his demeanour that steels itself when entreated by Beatrice.”

On Catherine he adds, "Lest we think Tate lacks depth, let us remind ourselves that Beatrice was meant to "speak all mirth and no matter" and has "often dreamt of unhappiness and waked herself with laughing." Her scene of "overhearing” of Benedick's supposed love needs celebrating, as she dangles from a painter’s harness above the chatty maidens sharing the news."

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