Much ado about nothing indeed in disappointing misfire of play

The setting confuses the narrative just as Anna Fleischle's set - a clumsy revolve with noisy sliding doors representing a lobby, bar, pavilion dominates the action.

- Nick Curtis

Much Ado About Nothing

National, Lyttelton

NOT even the combined talents of Katherine Parkinson and John Heffernan can breathe life into this flaccid production of Shakespeare's comedy, a rare misfire by director Simon Godwin. Individually these stalwarts of comedies and classics are fine as sparring, reluctant lovers Beatrice and Benedick. But together they have zero chemistry.