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I am finally watching the Tate/Tennant Much Ado. (Legally, I hasten to add; M bought the download.)
My original reservations about the time setting still apply; I'm having trouble reconciling the language and the visuals. After that, though, I'm finding it peppered with interpretations that I haven't seen in any of the other productions before (and that's rather saying a lot for this play.)
Oh, and no I'm not going to cut-tag a past production of a 400-year-old play, so onward!
"Will you have me, lady?" Up to the Thompson/Branagh movie, I'd always seen that moment played as a joke; the prince isn't serious. It still sort of throws me that he's serious in the T/B movie and she's serious back. Here is half and half - he's serious, she blows him off thinking he was joking, and then spends the rest of the scene half hysterically trying to either get him to laugh or get herself to stop blurting out what she thinks. It's hard to describe, but it's working.
It's also one of several moments when we are reminded that Catherine Tate is first and foremost a Famous Comedienne - she's doing excellent work, but she's also very much A Famous Comedienne.
The other thing that's surprising me is that it's the first time I've seen Don John not as the main shit-stirrer, but more like the stirring stick. His henchmen are playing him like a fiddle. (No wonder the prince agreed to take him back; he wants to be dangerous but isn't on his own.)
There may be updates - I'm writing this during the Dogberry parts, as I always found him overrated. But I'm surprised to find that there's more here than a novelty setting and stunt casting.
My original reservations about the time setting still apply; I'm having trouble reconciling the language and the visuals. After that, though, I'm finding it peppered with interpretations that I haven't seen in any of the other productions before (and that's rather saying a lot for this play.)
Oh, and no I'm not going to cut-tag a past production of a 400-year-old play, so onward!
"Will you have me, lady?" Up to the Thompson/Branagh movie, I'd always seen that moment played as a joke; the prince isn't serious. It still sort of throws me that he's serious in the T/B movie and she's serious back. Here is half and half - he's serious, she blows him off thinking he was joking, and then spends the rest of the scene half hysterically trying to either get him to laugh or get herself to stop blurting out what she thinks. It's hard to describe, but it's working.
It's also one of several moments when we are reminded that Catherine Tate is first and foremost a Famous Comedienne - she's doing excellent work, but she's also very much A Famous Comedienne.
The other thing that's surprising me is that it's the first time I've seen Don John not as the main shit-stirrer, but more like the stirring stick. His henchmen are playing him like a fiddle. (No wonder the prince agreed to take him back; he wants to be dangerous but isn't on his own.)
There may be updates - I'm writing this during the Dogberry parts, as I always found him overrated. But I'm surprised to find that there's more here than a novelty setting and stunt casting.
