Much Ado About Nothing: Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell deliver 'full-on fiery and fleshy' performance
Jamie Lloyd's adaptation of Shakespeare classic leans on '1990s pop favourites'

"It's pink, it's loud – and it's irresistible," said Sarah Crompton on What's on Stage. Jamie Lloyd's production of Shakespeare's "best-loved and richest comedy" rides on a "wave of falling confetti and 1990s pop favourites"; it uses wonderfully choreographed disco dancing to illuminate the battle of the sexes, and features two glorious lead performances that manage to be both "truthful and incredibly funny".
It all makes for a "thoroughly weird and absolutely wonderful reconceptualisation", said Arifa Akbar in The Guardian. Lloyd turns Shakespeare's "comedy, which narrowly swerves tragedy, into an old school house party cum modern romcom", with the sparring lovers clad in spangles, gold shimmer and sequins. It's a "wonderfully giddy thing" – and you'd have to be a "god of stone to not be seduced by its wacky joy".
This remarkably "infectious" production is blessed by actors who embrace the disco craziness with gusto, but have the acting chops to transcend it, said Susannah Clapp in The Observer. Tom Hiddleston has previously turned in triumphant performances as Cassio in Othello and as a "blazing" Coriolanus. Here, he "startlingly expands his Shakespearean range" with a display of nimble physical comedy. He "unbuttons his cerulean shirt to seduce his Beatrice", and "proves a swivel-hipped executor of embarrassing dancing".
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Hayley Atwell, too, has the ability to move "from wildness to serious romance without dropping a beat of the verse". Together, their Beatrice and Benedick are "full-on fiery and fleshy, making sexy sense of a couple who are often more shrivelled and sour", while also finding the sombre strains beneath the joy.
Lloyd has scrapped the Dogberry subplot, which has the effect of making the resolution of the main drama seem rather abrupt, said Sarah Hemming in the Financial Times. "We lose too the potential social commentary embedded in the tale." Still, it is hard to quibble when the show is such a joy "from start to finish", boosted by outstanding performances across the board. "Heartbreak, hope, healing – it's all here in this gorgeous, bighearted production."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Critics' choice: Three takes on tavern dining
Feature A second Minetta Tavern, A 1946 dining experience, and a menu with a mission
By The Week US
-
Film reviews: Warfare and A Minecraft Movie
Feature A combat film that puts us in the thick of it and five misfits fall into a cubic-world adventure
By The Week US
-
What to know before lending money to family or friends
the explainer Ensure both your relationship and your finances remain intact
By Becca Stanek, The Week US
-
Critics' choice: Three takes on tavern dining
Feature A second Minetta Tavern, A 1946 dining experience, and a menu with a mission
By The Week US
-
Film reviews: Warfare and A Minecraft Movie
Feature A combat film that puts us in the thick of it and five misfits fall into a cubic-world adventure
By The Week US
-
Music reviews: Perfume Genius, Momma, Elton John & Brandi Carlile
Feature "Glory," "Welcome to My Blue Sky," and "Who Believes in Angels?"
By The Week US
-
Myth and Marble: Ancient Roman Sculpture From the Torlonia Collection
Feature The private collection is being revealed to the public for the first time in decades
By The Week US
-
Ione Skye's 6 favorite books about love and loss
Feature The actress recommends works by James Baldwin, Nora Ephron, and more
By The Week US
-
Book reviews: 'Miracles and Wonder: The Historical Mystery of Jesus' and 'When the Going Was Good: An Editor's Adventures During the Last Golden Age of Magazines'
Feature The college dropout who ruled the magazine era and the mysteries surrounding Jesus Christ
By The Week US
-
The Canadian: taking a sleeper train across Canada
The Week Recommends Unique and unforgettable way to see this 'vast and varied' landscape
By The Week UK
-
Adjapsandali: Georgian-style ratatouille recipe
The Week Recommends Twist on the authentic recipe offers bursts of garlic and spices
By The Week UK