Royal Shakespeare Company’s Much Ado About Nothing: Wit, WAGs and Wembley
I have never much understood the attraction of a footballer. A laddy and lanky creature with no A-levels and more frequent trips to the hair salon than a 15-year-old-girl in her quintessential platinum blonde phase: I never quite got Phoden-fever. Yet, I supposed if they’re any good, then they’re bound to have a lot of money, but so would a lawyer or a doctor or a particularly gifted tie designer, and at least that way, you don’t have to hear about your 32-year-old retiree hubby’s arduous golf day that ended in a personal best of 10 over par. However, despite their questionable taste in men, I have always been partial to a WAG. In my personal opinion footballers are simply arm candy – or in some cases, arm Tesco’s-own-brand-drumsticks – to their better-looking halves. And so, I’m sure you can imagine my delight upon hearing that Much Ado’s Beatrice, the fictional character I relate to second only to Bridget Jones (who is essentially just a slightly more awkward and potty-mouthed version of the former), was to become a WAG.
Much Ado About Nothing may be a romantic comedy, but it exhibits strong themes of public shame, the fragility of reputation, and the silencing of female voices
In the early 2000s, WAG culture reigned supreme. It was very difficult to come across a gossip magazine, the pre-internet way of keeping up with current fads, that didn’t have Victoria Beckham, Colleen Rooney or Cheryl (to be) Cole on the cover. However, when it came to the England Team’s WAGs, public opinion was split sharply – often along gendered lines. The jeans were low slung, the paparazzi an ever-present threat, and the England Team’s performance always dictated how their WAGs were spoken about. An England loss was surely down to the WAGs – either being too much in the media or too little – and of course, never the team’s fault. But if you thought the tabloids of the early 2000s were savage, Shakespeare was there first. Much Ado About Nothing may be a romantic comedy, but it exhibits strong themes of public shame, the fragility of reputation, and the silencing of female voices.
This was why, upon hearing that the RSC’s latest production of Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Michael Longhurst and designed by Jon Bausor, is centred around footballers and their WAGs, I sensed a stroke of genius. And thus, it was with very high expectations that I took a seat in the third row back, fully prepared to laugh and cry in equal measure. I was not, however, expecting to be within a splash zone.
The subtext of Beatrice and Benedick’s history positions Beatrice as not only a witty sparring partner, but as somebody already bruised by love – deserving of the audience’s loyalty and affection right from the start
As the curtains role, a hot tub takes centre stage. Champagne and cameras are just behind. We enter a world where Messina FC has just won the title for the first time in its history, with the vivacious Claudio scoring a hat-trick. The energy is immediately encapsulating, with the definitive love-to-hate relationship between Benedict and Beatrice playing as thoroughly natural within this new 21st Century setting. Move over, Posh and Becks – there’s a new ‘it-couple’ in town.
Freema Agyeman expertly transitions her Beatrice from sharp-tongued to sensitive. The choice to lean into the subtext of Beatrice and Benedick’s history positions Beatrice as not only a witty sparring partner, but as somebody already bruised by love – deserving of the audience’s loyalty and affection right from the start.
Nick Blood plays Benedict as vaguely unlikable but still thoroughly lovable – sort of like your little brother who won’t stop asking if you’re ‘there yet’ on a long car journey. He’s cute and means well, and you don’t mind that much, as you can still turn your headphones up to block out his competitive talking. However, as he outgrows his love allergy to reveal a surprisingly tender core, Blood grows with the character. He doesn’t just flirt with vulnerability – he falls (rather awkwardly) headfirst into it. His transformation from annoying little brother to worthy husband feels truly earnt, with his performative masculinity of Act I proving itself to be just that.
RSC’s Much Ado About Nothing proves that even under the glare of paparazzi flashbulbs and poolside Prosecco, Shakespeare’s words remain timeless
Much Ado About Nothing is a tale of two couples, two paradoxical plots, and two distinct halves. As the plot of the second half unravels, however, so do the football links. As trophies are replaced with wedding flowers and football boots with suede loafers, it’s easy to forget the WAG-based setting of the play. However, social media messages being shared around a fake video keeps the modern relevance alive. Hate-messages towards the wronged Hero, inspired by fake-news, bring a real sense of gravity to the adaptation.
Daniel Adeosun as Claudio brings the perfect mix of lovestruck innocence and wounded pride, stealing every line with a touch of charisma. Flamina Cinque plays a rather good, if slightly over-accented Wagatha Christie, and Tanya Franks feels straight off of Desperate Housewives as Leonato’s (here, the football club’s owner) wife. Azan Ahmed, whom I had the pleasure of seeing as the Porter in the Donmar Theatre’s production of Macbeth earlier this year, proves in his somewhat modest role as Conrade to be a future star of note.
In a production that sparkles with both satire and sincerity, the RSC’s Much Ado About Nothing proves that even under the glare of paparazzi flashbulbs and poolside Prosecco, Shakespeare’s words remain timeless. By transplanting the Bard into the glitzy, gossip-driven world of modern football culture, the play finds a fresh bite. Though later on the WAG culture fades slightly into the background, the emotional impact remains front and centre. If my beloved Beatrice is now a WAG then one thing is for sure – she is absolutely not here for your golf stories. If love is the game, then she’s walking off the pitch with the trophy.
Much Ado About Nothing plays until 24th May.
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