“What’s that coming over the hill? Is it a monster? Is it a monster?” Not even close, they wouldn’t hurt a fly… it’s The HandleBards actually. They are an outdoor touring theatre company. Amazingly, they are cycling actors who carry all the set, props, and costume needed to perform environmentally sustainable Shakespeare plays across the globe. It’s an all-male troupe of four actors whose continuous cycling doesn’t enervate them but rather generates enough human voltage to produce a family show bouncing with kinetic energy and adept physicality. They are the 21st Century Lord Chamberlin’s Men.
Tonight, they presented ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ by William Shakespeare. A group of soldiers return from the war to a household in Messina. They come home to two interweaving romances: one was impulsive, the other was disinclined. Claudio and Hero were the couple who fell frantically in love and were scheduled to say, “I do” to one another within a week. However, the resentful Don John (“It’s Don Jooohhhhnnnn!”) formulated a slanderous and wicked plot to ruin the wedding. He loved to stroke his cat - I swear every child wanted that teddy. If that’s not enough drama within a comedy for one person to experience, Benedict and Beatrice went to prodigious lengths to conceal their requited love for one another. They failed to cease hurling witty affronts at one another. How will all this resolve itself? Shakespeare somehow transforms bedlam into calm resolution and The HandleBards make this a splendid and playful production for families.
Shakespearian acting was often exaggerated and featured enlarged gestures, this especially had to be the case for this outdoor production where environmental and modern world distractions could have easily distracted our attention. They had the audience in the palm of their hands. Their versatile, enunciable, and resonate stage voices were exemplary. It may have rained a little but that didn’t dampen our spirits. Lighting and sound was not required in the slightest. It was just them, us, a simple set, and a toybox of props. The decision regarding stage location was successful: the Ordsall Hall was in the background, rather resembling Shakespeare’s birthplace in Stratford-Upon-Avon.
The way they used the handle bars was hilarious and practical, especially when it came to multi-rolling. It helped that they wore signs with the letters of character’s names on. It was a fine example of a Shakespeare production for families because of the silliness, giddiness, and childishness. Not to mention the slapstick, joshing, mischief, and clowning. They made it look easy when actually all of that requires diligent and persistent rehearsal. It was as slick as one of Shakespeare’s feather quills. The audience participation worked well because they picked a couple of willing and enthusiastic volunteers who they could rely on, showing good judgement and experience. This kept the performance fresh. It was nice to see them ad-libbing a little too, even if this threw them off once in a while.
Live music was typical of Shakespeare’s plays, the ensemble did a great job playing their instruments and singing in this production. This included the employment of a tin whistle and a water bottle for a drum – it wasn’t a single use plastic item anymore. The music, as you would expect, engaged the little ones especially. Moreover, the metatheatrical play in this was funny too and worked because it also highlighted the complexity and imbroglios of the plot. The HandleBards production of ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ was a bouncy, puerile, and jovial romp.
Reviewer - Sam Lowe
on - 11/8/19
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