Macbeth +
Much Ado About Nothing
BMH presented two classic Shakespeare plays in this fresh and accessible double-bill. Audiences experienced an evening like no other as love, war and jealousy collided in a maelstrom of temptation and drama.
In Macbeth, an ambitious general and his passionate wife were seduced by supernatural prophecies of glory. But when they gave in to temptation, their choices had terrible consequences.
In Much Ado About Nothing, battle-scarred soldiers sought respite from the war in Leonata’s glamorous cabaret bar. When love blossomed between Claudio and Leonata’s innocent daughter, it seemed like the dark days were behind them. But when a lie threatened to ruin everything, feuding ex-lovers Beatrice and Benedick had try and save the day.
With over a decade’s experience of producing unique and accessible one-hour Shakespeare, BMH returned to the Oxford Castle with a pacy and exciting double bill.
Two hours. Two plays. One unforgettable show.
Reviews
"Macbeth takes the first half, Kate O’Connor in title role, sharply switching between uncertain ambition and chilling, bloodthirsty determination. Teamed with Nicola Jones, sharp of suit and unswerving in her ambition, they make a terrifying, murderous, loving couple. The performance captures that peculiar horror of contemporary conflict, that powerful sense that everyone pays and no-one truly survives.
...
The sky darkens, the lights come on, and the cast reassemble to right all wrongs with Much Ado About Nothing. Punkish army fatigues switch out for suits and sequins and Alistair Nunn steps up as Benedick, flinging out wild fountains of witticisms, while Beatrice (Jessica Reilly, in series of escalating outfits) gamely, joyously lobs them back... Scenes unfold in tidy style, happily zig-zagging to their final happy ending as the last light fades behind the castle mound, the stars come out overhead, and all is delightful." Daily Info