Much Ado About Hamlet

If you're a fan of Benedict Cumberbatch, Shakespeare, or British theatre, you probably know there was National Theatre Live event that was broadcast in cinemas around the world yesterday of the new Hamlet in London, starring the tall guy as the last one to die at the end.

Did I see it? I did not, because despite keeping an eye on the website for months for tickets to go on sale in Austin, I somehow missed the tiny tiny window between the tickets going on sale and then selling out. Grrr. I'm hoping we get to see the encore here. (You know what else I want to see the encore of? Corialanus. I've been watching for tickets for that show for even longer than I did for Hamlet. I'm still waiting and getting progressively more annoyed.)

The stage during intermission.

Fortunately, my favourite Shakespeare of all time is currently playing in Austin, so I made the trip through the wind-y hills of West Austin to Curtain Theatre, which is modeled on London's Globe Theater, to see Much Ado About Nothing.

First of all: the theatre is absolutely amazing. It's about one-third the size of the actual Globe Theatre, and being in it is an experience in itself. I sat on the second floor on stage left, but I doubt that there is a bad seat in the house. The actors do a great job of addressing the audience on all sides.

The company: Holy smokes, do they ever do this show justice. Of special note for me were Beatrice (Lindsay M. Palinsky), Dona Giovanna (Leanna Holmquist), and Dogberry (Andrew Bond), but they were all spectacular and I would happily go pay to see them every night from now until they close. (Fortunately, I have other plans for most of those evenings, or else I'd be out a lot of money.) Austin is so saturated with actors that I mostly feel bad for them that there just aren't enough parts to go around... but I also have a certain glee at how spoiled we are in this city for brilliant theatre.

Managed to catch the company just as they were moving
away after the curtain call. The two nearest me in the
center of the pic are Leanna Holmquist as Dona
Giovanna (usually Don John, the villain) and Levi Gore
as her henchman Borachio.

If you're in Austin, do yourself a favour and go see this. If you're not in Austin, be sad at what you're missing out on.