Written by William Shakespeare, directed by Paul Winchester and Blair Cutting
Point Break Theatre guided us through the nebulous plot, made us root for the romance, and gave us a great night out at the theatre. There is not much more you can ask for.
Reviewed by Billy Chapman
Star of the Sea Theatre, Stella Maris Campus, Manly, Gadigal/Sydney
Running from 25 July – 3 August 2025
Tickets: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1422400
Type: Shakespearean, Tragicomedy
If You Liked: Anyone But You, Romantic Comedy
Much Ado About Nothing is a nebulous play that navigates a rough course between comedy and tragedy. It appears in Shakespeare’s First Folio (1623) – not merely one of the most influential texts on theatre, but on literature, history, and humanity. Naturally, there are few tasks more intimidating than performing Shakespeare, particularly something as complex as Much Ado. Point Break Theatre Company have struck an impressive balance between coveting a timeless classic, whilst finishing it with a glossy varnish.
The play dramatises two love affairs, one which is nearly foiled by a malicious rumour of infidelity, and the other which occurs between two lovers who ostensibly despise each other. Leonato (Michael Richmond), governor of Messina, awaits the return of a troupe of soldiers including Benedick (Brendan Miles), Claudio (Owen Frost), Don Pedro (Erica Nelson), and his villainous brother Don John (Mejella Nolan). The central marriage, which is nearly foiled by Don John’s malicious rumour, is that between Claudio and Hero (Julia Grace), Leonato’s daughter, and the unlikely romance occurs between Benedick and Beatrice (Sammie Bailey), Hero’s cousin.
The cast wore an upbeat charisma which did not undercut the script and provided a balance between accessible theatre and high-brow comedy. Miles was a standout, his performance showcasing his energy, sincerity, and comprehension of the script. The expertly delivered ‘this can be no trick’ monologue in Act II Scene III was a particular highlight, where we see the first cogs of romance toward Beatrice turning over in his mind.
The increasing participation of women in male social environments during the time of writing is a tenet of Much Ado and is manifested in Beatrice. The strength of Bailey was in her ability to intimidate male characters with her power and wit. Nelson also gave us an excellent portrayal of an upstanding and noble voice of reason throughout the play.
Blocking Much Ado is a demanding task for any director. It is a play dense with quick changes in setting and depth, split scenes, crowding, and of course as the title suggests, ‘noting.’ This Shakespearean word is homophonic for ‘nothing’ (hence the pun in the play’s title) and refers to the act of eavesdropping, which is a central device in this play. Paul Winchester and Blair Cutting (also Balthazar) successfully wrangled this behemoth script into the environment and diligently spaced the scenes to help create tension as gossip diffuses across the stage. Michael Arnott excelled at lighting a production that switches from tragedy to comedy at the flip of a coin and was able to lead us through these tonal shifts nicely with quick contrasts.
This play was in safe hands at Point Break Theatre Company who have revived a timeless Shakespeare production with a slightly camp varnish
The set however made their job challenging. There was a lack of physical depth, and the layout became two-dimensional, making it difficult for the actors to utilise the space behind (and not from lack of trying). This had the effect of shrinking the stage, that was otherwise a generous space, homogenising the layout of the scenes. The door frame upstage right functioned well for eavesdropping, but the central staircase was under-utilised and the deck chairs at stage left did not provide a barrier to build tension. Nonetheless, the actors did an excellent job to build comedy from the absurdity of their camouflage during eavesdropping scenes which was greatly appreciated by the audience.
Producing Much Ado About Nothing is a mammoth task. It is a complex play that straddles comedy and tragedy, and it is dense with characters and multi-layered scenes. This play was in safe hands at Point Break Theatre Company who have revived a timeless Shakespeare production with a slightly camp varnish. They held our hand throughout this production, guided us through the difficult plot, made us root for the romance, and gave us a great night out at the theatre. There is not much more you can ask for.
