Much Ado About Nothing – that rare Shakespearean comedy in which the heroine does not have to put on doublet and hose to be a wit – is proving to be the play of the summer. Two months ago, Lucy Bailey staged a tremendous 40s version at the Globe, rich in dark tones. Now Simon Godwin pulls off a lighter but truthful interpretation, set in the 30s. He takes on the pun in the title – “nothing” was pronounced “noting” in 1600 – and stages the play so that it hinges not on sparky exchanges but on teasing eavesdrops, spying, mis-notings.
There is expedience in this. As the hate-to-love, love-to-hate couple, John Heffernan and Katherine Parkinson give separately striking performances. Heffernan begins as a desultory discontent and subtly accretes layers of intelligence. Parkinson, wildly poised, gradually grows a heart, her face shining with surprised tears. However, they give off few sparks when together: their exchanges do not fuel the play. The energy is more diffused.
