“Freema Agyeman is a revelation, and her Beatrice is fierce, interesting and extremely moving, bringing new depth to her timeless role in productions that captivate both spectacular and soul.
The Royal Shakespeare Company’s latest work is nothing more than a stunning, sincere rethinking Shakespeare’s comedy, but doing more than revitalizing it. Counting the high glossy world of Premier League football hypermasculin, this version draws out not only humor, but also the emotional weight of the play’s tangled romantic entanglement. This is not just a clever environment for classic narratives, but rather an ideal lens in which Shakespeare’s exploration of gender, power and perception finds new resonances.
Staging is not breathtaking. Visually, the show is a complex feat of technical mastery and theatrical invention. The vast set, which stretches deep into the theatre space, features dual levels and dynamic upper levels that change the scene with the fluidity of the film. It is a gorgeous, spectacular, and swagger-risking environment, a suitable rationale for flashy, high-stakes football celebrities, and the image often obscures the truth.
However, if performance doesn’t match the production ambitions, it’s not that important. They do. The chief among them is Freema Aggieman’s epic turn as Beatrice. Best known to many for her television productions, Agyeman proves that he is an absolute stage presence here. Her Beatrice is clever, emotionally layered and deeply rooted in the reality of her world. Rather than simply playing her as caustic or debilitating, Aggieman shows us women who have learned to be protected and skeptical in a culture that treats women objectively and objectively on a daily basis, as well as decorative extensions of male success. Her resistance to marriage is read as a principled act of self-preservation, not as a habit or a rebellion of comics.
Furthermore, the presence of Aggieman as a Black woman in this role adds a powerful and implicit dimension to the character. In a space encoded by wealth, whiteness, and male domination, her Beatrice stands out not as an outsider, but as someone whose strength, intelligence and calm have opened up space for her survival and success. This casting doesn’t just provide expression. It sharpens the theme of the play and further influences Beatrice’s resilience. Her moments of vulnerability are deeply felt, and the chemistry she builds in Nick Brad’s Benedick is both playful and heart-warming. Their journey from sparring partners to passive lovers unfolds with a sense of emotional authenticity that keeps the audience fully invested.
Around them, the ensemble is full of strong Daniel Adeson’s Claudio, full of naive idealism, and his fall to jealousy is even more painful, and Eleanor Worthington Cox gives the hero a quiet dignity that makes her public embarrassment even more embarrassing. The contemporary context of social media trolling, scattered across massive screens on stage, makes hero trials cold and relevant. The villain of Don John (Nojang Kazai) feels completely plausible in a world where a manufactured scandal can instantly end its career and reputation.
Ultimately, this many ADOs are a thrilling blend of theatrical sights and emotional truth. Yes, it captures comedy, but it reminds me of why Shakespeare is timeless. This is a world filled with love, deception and performance, where love can be both risk and rebellion. Even if you have struggled to connect with Shakespeare before, this production offers a fresh, deep and interesting way to go. It’s witty, stylish, moving, and profound in its finest moments. Pride must be seen.
Runs on RSC Stratford on Avon until May 24th
Source: Pride Magazine – www.pridemagazine.com
