It’s not the slickest Shakespeare you’ll ever see, but if you’re after a fun, feel-good evening in a stunning setting, this one’s worth your time.
On a beautiful, warm evening, there’s really no better setting for Shakespeare than at the Oxford Castle. The open-air atmosphere adds a certain magic, and even though the actors have to project more without microphones, the unique setup with the audience on three sides means they don’t have to worry too much about sight lines. That said, for the first twenty minutes of this production, Oscar Luckett, who played Claudio, faced upstage a bit too much, which made it hard to catch some of his lines from where I was sitting. So while the three-sided audience arrangement is awesome, the actors still need to make sure they turn and project to all sides.
The director, Paul Alex Nicholls, was very welcoming and made sure I had a great seat, which definitely helped me soak it all in and appreciate every detail.
The set was simple but effective, with just a central dais, some plants and a bar that transformed into Hero’s tomb later on. The actors made great use of the set, especially during those sneaky, secretive scenes where they had to hide or eavesdrop.
Performance-wise, I felt the men really stood out. Billy Morton as Benedick was fantastic, he nailed the comedic timing and brought out Benedick’s softer and more intense sides really well. Craig Finley, who juggled multiple roles, also made the Shakespearean lines feel natural and engaging, which is no easy feat.
On the flip side, I did feel the women’s performances were a bit stiff at times, which made some scenes harder to follow. Eliza Blackwell as Beatrice had a great grasp of the language, but some of her movements felt a bit distracting and unnatural, which took away from the immersion just a little bit.
The pacing had its ups and downs, and there were a few moments that dragged a bit, at one point in Act Two, there was some dead stage time that could have been tightened up but there were also some real highlights. The scene where Leonato, Don Pedro, and Claudio trick Benedick into believing Beatrice loves him was absolutely brilliant and had everyone laughing out loud.
The audience really seemed to enjoy the interactive elements, even if not everyone was thrilled about being pulled into the action and the 1940s setting was a really nice touch, with great costumes and a vintage vibe. The music and dancing added some nice breaks between scenes, even if some choices were a little unexpected.
In the end, if you’re looking for a fun, easygoing evening of Shakespeare in a gorgeous setting, this production is definitely worth checking out. It might not be the slickest, most professional performance out there, but you’ll still have a great time and leave with a smile.