Such Ado!
This delightful take on Shakespeare's MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING partially updates the dialogue, is set at a progressive college with an all gender soccer team, & makes the romances queer, with nuanced portrayals of the flawed lovers.
Great adaptation; very succinct but still tells Shakespeare's story well. Very fast-paced and fun, terrific timing, great direction and blocking which made it perfectly suited to the venue (Cake Cabaret, shout-out). Great music, cute costumes, and most importantly: terrific performances!!! More of this please!!!
Cassandra Davey's NNNN review of Such Ado! from NEXT Magazine.
Excellent modern adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing. Very funny and well done. Don't miss it!
When I see that someone is doing a queer adaptation of Shakespeare, THIS is what I expect the play to look like! BRAVO!
You can read my full review at the link below!
I went to see Such Ado at Cake Cabaret, and wow, what a blast.
Full disclosure: I've never read or seen Much Ado About Nothing, so I went in with absolutely no knowledge of the source material. It didn't matter one bit. From the opening scene, I was completely hooked.
The storytelling, the performances, and even the scene transitions were all incredibly well done. The show strikes that perfect balance between cheesy, campy fun and genuinely compelling theatre. It never takes itself too seriously, but it also never loses sight of telling a great story.
Jonathan, played by Liam Kinahan, was delightfully unsettling. He gave me strong American Psycho energy in the best possible way, equal parts charming and absolutely terrifying.
Naomi Morales, as Hera, instantly reminded me of America Ferrera, bringing warmth, wit, and an incredibly likeable presence to the role.
Elise Bauman (Ben) and Frances Loiselle (Bea) absolutely stole every scene they shared. Their chemistry was electric, and their snarky back-and-forth was delivered with impeccable timing. Every sarcastic jab landed perfectly.
I also have to give a huge shout-out to Demi-Lee Bainbridge and Siyu Han as the soccer players/henchmen. Their background comedy was brilliantly understated. It wasn't flashy or overplayed, it rewarded anyone paying attention, and those little moments had me laughing just as much as the big ones. I see you, and I appreciated every second of it.
And, of course, a special shout-out to my friend Henrique Santsper as Donny P. I'm admittedly a little biased, but he was fantastic. It's been such a joy watching him continue to grow as an actor, and seeing him command the stage like this made me incredibly proud.
If you're looking for a night of laughter, camp, clever performances, and just plain fun, go see Such Ado. Whether you're a Shakespeare expert or, like me, someone who couldn't tell Benedick from a breadstick, you'll have an amazing time.
Trust me, you will not be disappointed.
I loved this update of one of my favourite Shakespeare plays.
The writing was brilliant, laugh-out-loud witty, the cast had amazing energy together, the contemporary setting worked extremely well, and the villain had us all on the edge of our seats as we watched his dastardly plot unfold.
The choreography, especially with the "new team member" was exceptionally well done. Highly recommended!
This was such a fun modern queer adaptation of Much Ado about nothing. Everyone in the cast was fantastic! Highly recommend. You must see it!!
This show has so much heart and soul. The audience is having fun, the actors on stage are having fun, and it seemed like everyone involved really loved putting up this show. When I think theatre, I think community and WOW this show brought the community together :). Can't wait to see it again (if it doesn't sell out). Easily will become a Fringe classic.
Imagine "She's the Man" & "10 Things I Hate About You" meets "Heated Rivalry" & "Heartstopper".
A delightfully sweet experience, where even the bitter antagonist is a treat to root against. This worked for me as a cute rom-com, a modern Shakespeare adaptation, and a piece of queer camp.
Go Roans Go!