No Holds Bard in Humour-filled Much Ado

The Handlebards. At the masked Ball. Photo courtesy of The Handlebards.

Much Ado About Nothing, performed by The Handlebards in Coventry Cathedral Ruins.

Review by Alison Manning.

There’s always an element of risk with outdoor theatre and audience members for this performance of Much Ado About Nothing, being staged in Coventry Cathedral ruins by the Handlebards theatre company have been advised to be prepared.

Twenty minutes before the show is due to start, when we are enjoying the pleasant warm up music in the welcome evening sunshine, peaks of thunder roll in dramatically and heavy raindrops begin to fall from the black clouds that have just appeared. The cast instantly don high-viz ponchos, with the resourcefulness and efficiency you would expect of a company that transports themselves and all their props, costumes and set from venue to venue entirely by bike.

The show must go on regardless of the weather. Photo by Alison Manning.

They carry on selling programmes undaunted, as the audience clamour into their waterproofs and the downpour stops right on cue as soon as the action starts. Of course, the showers start again immediately the interval is announced, but at least there’s the possibility of shelter then, and it stops promptly for the second half.

As well as seemingly being in control of the weather and adjusting to its vagaries, the cast adapt well to this setting, as they must do to each new venue on their tour, in this case improvising around the cathedral bells chiming every quarter of an hour, and the squeals of birds being hounded by a peregrine.

Much Ado About Nothing is one of Shakespeare’s plays that, to many, needs little introduction, going from comedic romance through, as the programme notes confirm, confusion and seeming calamity to a cathartic conclusion of clarity.  The comedy is definitely prevalent in this production and is added to by their exploitation of the comedic possibilities of multi-roling, necessitated by having a cast of just four.

Much Ado About Nothing with the cat! Photo courtesy of the Handlebards.

Each cast member wears a lot of different hats, often literally, and switches humorously between roles, frequently leaving behind just a hat, a skirt, or a labelled handlebar (in keeping with their cycling ethos), held up by fellow cast members, to represent their other character while they quickly embody a different one, effortlessly changing voices or accents as appropriate. At various points a couple of audience members are also conscripted into helping out and taking on additional roles, to added amusement, and the two in this performance seemed particular good sports, embracing their allotted parts willingly and enthusiastically, encouragingly coached by the cast.

This is a play of two courtships, that of Hero and Claudio, which is usually portrayed in a more serious manner, contrasted with that of Hero’s cousin Beatrice and Benedick, who entertainingly bicker and are tricked into courtship, where the main comedy of the play generally lies.

The clever use of zips adds extra humour! Photo courtesy of the Handlebards.

In some ways this is turned on its head in this production, not least because Hero is played by a mop. Also gender restrictions are ignored and Claudio is played in a comically effected way by Sarah Bulmer, the same actor who also plays Beatrice. The usual points of humour in this play are milked to the full, such as Beatrice and Benedick each comically and increasingly implausibly hiding themselves, behind leaves, under picnic blankets, beneath fruit, whilst others talk about them in full knowledge of their presence.

Extra comedy is introduced at every conceivable opportunity, even at the (usually) darkest moments. The point in the play where Beatrice exhorts Benedick to “Kill Claudio,” in order to avenge her slandered cousin Hero, is usually a dark and sombre moment representing the change in their relationship from lightness to seriousness and depth. In this version, whilst a certain solemnity remains in the exchange, it is deliberately undercut through Beatrice’s simultaneous whimsical action of pointing a threatening banana, gun-like at Benedick.

Beatrice, Don Pedro and Leonato in action Photo courtesy of the Handlebards.

 The costumes have been carefully crafted, with each actor having a similar basic costume of shorts, braces and shirt, which is then transformed into a different character through the addition of a hat, a jacket, a wig or a skirt, but with individual identities indicated by differentiated sock colour - one in green, one in blue, one in red, one in yellow. Each actor’s assigned colour is then highlighted through accents in each of their additional outfits, giving a pleasing fluency, such as a stripe or flower on a hat or a lapel, or an accessory such as gloves.

Stereotypically the ‘baddies’ have black hats (with a stripe) whilst the other striped hats are white. Even more stereotypically, as all the Bond villains seem to, the ‘archbaddy’ Don John has a cat. This witty addition increases the humour, both through the farcical effects of it being thrown around, as well as jovial begging from actors for food and drink for the thirsty feline from the audience’s picnic remnants.

The Handlebards cycle to their next gig. Photo credit Danford Showan.

The set is simple, as you might expect from knowing this sustainable company carry everything around by bike. There is a small tent in the centre of the stage, used for impressively quick costume changes and for actors to hide in should they have a rare moment when they are not involved in the action. Even the comedy of this is exploited, with characters being allegedly kicked through the middle of it in a slapstick fashion, and the window at the front of it being zipped and unzipped to reveal characters to great effect. The passage of time is showed through one actor parading a circular depiction of the sun and/or moon across the stage, to the accompaniment of music, with increasingly over the top amusing antics.

This is also a show suffused with music. Again, these songs are used as vessels for comedy, such as Hero’s dad Leonato's repeated chasing the supposed minstrels off his land, as well as a filler to cover quick costume changes, but they are also skilfully sung and played, on tin whistle, tambourine, ukulele and another small stringed, strummed instrument that I am too woefully ignorant to identify. The closing number where the cast joins harmoniously together is joyfully uplifting, suffused with energy and the ever-present humour, as indeed is the whole show. 

The Handlebards are spending the summer on tour, cycling up and down the country performing Much Ado About Nothing in many different venues. The next stop is Belgrave Hall in Leicester on 22 July, you can find more details about this and the rest of their tour and future projects on their website: www.handlebards.com.