Shakespeare success

A Spanish makeover of Shakespeare classic “Much Ado About Nothing” was a success for Warragul Theatre Company.

The company’s second foray into Shakespeare was a success with strong direction and casting giving local audiences drama, comedy and a good night out.

A total of four shows were presented at the Warragul Exhibition Hall, with the Saturday night performance attracting about 100 people.

The stars were undoubtedly Adrian Darakai as Signor Benedick and Issie Stephens as Beatrice.

Adrian clearly had a great understanding of the script with his physical movements helping to portray the storyline. His comedic timing and occasional modern touches were outstanding.

Not many actors could seamlessly weave an untimely police siren into a Shakespeare play.

Issie is a real find for the company. She fully embraced the passion of Beatrice – strong and defiant - to project her character with aplomb.

The strong performances by John Black as Signor Leonato, Georgia Green as Don Pedro and Dom Ryan as Borachio were much enjoyed.

Adding a great deal of comedy were the duo of Deb Welch as Dogberry and Maddison Brough as Verges.

Younger cast members Abel Ferguson as Count Claudio and Dayna Tampaline as Hero showed plenty of talent.

It is clear “Much Ado About Nothing” and 2017’s “Measure for Measure” have widened the scope and brought new faces to the company, including director Steve Wiegerink who should receive many plaudits for his work.

The company will hold its 20th anniversary concert at the revamped West Gippsland Arts Centre in November. Moving into 2019, it will achieve a long-awaited goal of presenting “Beauty and the Beast” in May.