Sneak Preview Review
At Hart House Theatre, Toronto, Ont.
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Carly Chamberlain
Set and costumes by Adriana Bogaard
Lighting by André du Toit
Sound by Andy Trithardt
Choreography by Ashleigh Powell
Cast: Christopher Darroch
Tatiana Deans
Dylan Evans
Maggie Hammel
Erik Helle
Sarah Marchand
Shalyn McFaul
Laura Meadows
Megan Miles
Chanakya Mukherjee
Lesley Robertson
Alan Shonfield
Ilan Tzitrin
Laura Vincent
Mike Vitorovich
A lively, funny, production that does not shy away from the thorny problems. The star of the show is director Carly Chamberlain who solves the problems with style and wit.
Ahhhh the course of true love doesn’t run smooth when you have two stubborn, witty people like Beatrice and Benedick. They lob barbs at each other until a near tragedy makes them realize the inevitable. Elsewhere in the story, a young woman’s reputation is besmirched by troublemakers and rumour mongers, and the rumours are believed by some of Shakespeare’s stupidest men who of course don’t do any fact-checking.
Shalyn McFaul is a lively, emotional, take-no-prisoners Beatrice and Christopher Darroch is a courtly, thoughtful, witty Benedick and a perfect match for her. As Dogberry, Lesley Robertson makes an artform out of Dogberry’s malapropisms and her sense of the comedy in the part is wonderful.
It is directed by Carly Chamberlain with smarts, heart, a keen sense of the theatrical and a clear way of solving the many thorny problems Shakespeare throws in the play. The true star of this production is Carly Chamberlain. She has created a terrific time in the theatre. Don’t you dare miss this.
Hart House Theatre Presents:
Opened: Nov. 4, 2016.
Closes: Nov. 19, 2016.
Cast: 15; 7 men, 8 women
Running Time: 2 hours 15 minutes.
www.harthousetheatre.ca