Director Anne Marie Szucs brings one of Shakespeare’s most loved comedies to life in this current production at the Walterdale theatre.  The production is fast-paced, whimsical, facetious, and uproariously funny. The two leads, Murray Cullen (Benedick) and Erika Conway (Beatrice) exactly embody the fickle, nimble, and verbose characters through which Shakespeare wrote some of his best insults and most biting criticisms of the frivolity of love. The set dressings are simple, but the performances are anything but.

This production is glaringly well acted. Often Shakespearean productions leave audiences to think through the dialogue because it is more recited than acted. Such is not the case under Szucs' direction. The actors bring the words to life by thinking through the prose as they fall in love, denounce commitment, hatch plans, and receive scorn. There are so many small details and added directorial touches that bring out so much more of the humour in Shakespeare’s irreverent comedy.  This show is beyond an amateur production and is just the thing for cold winter’s night. 

Four and a half stars out of five.

Much Ado is now playing at the Walterdale until December 11th.