Whether you know of him as a literary genius or someone whose works made high school English classes a lot more frustrating (or fun) – it is hard to deny that William Shakespeare’s plays have managed to stand the test of time. Today marks the four-hundredth anniversary of Shakespeare’s passing, and it has been marked by theatrical organisations all around the world through various means. If you have some spare time, I recommend browsing the hashtag #shakespeare400.
Here in Queensland, the Queensland Theatre Company are marking this occasion by launching previews of their newest production of Much Ado About Nothing, one of Shakespeare’s lesser performed works (At least from my perspective) and one of the few major ones I never studied or even looked at in school. This is the mainstage directional debut of Jason Klarwein, who last year entertained audiences in a production of The Odd Couple, along with many others in QTC’s history.
I had the fortune of attending a media preview of the event yesterday afternoon, and it looks quite promising. It features a cast of eleven which includes Ellen Bailey, Liz Buchanan, Mark Conaghan, Patrick Dwyer, Hayden Jones, Christen O’Leary, Tama Matheson, Kathryn McIntyre, Hugh Parker, Bryan Probets and Megan Shorey. It also features a few songs, including some easily recognisable tracks from the last few decades which have been incorporated into the five-act show. One such example is a version of Heya by OutKast, created by long-time composer Gordon Hamilton.
Previews for Much Ado About Nothing will run from this evening until Wednesday 27 April, and will then be followed by a main run until May 15 2016. Tickets are priced from $52.00 to $82.00, with individual prices depending on session preference, concession status, under 30 status and seat preference. The show will be held in QPAC’s Playhouse Theatre. Tickets can be purchased through the QPAC website or box office.
