SHAKESPEARIAN comedy is notoriously difficult to stage, but Canberra REP has a good track record with this genre and plans to give us more, with “Much Ado about Nothing” opening tomorrow night at Theatre 3.

It’s the 8^th directorial role with REP for Cate Clelland, who also designed the costumes and set and has assembled a team of tried and true comedians — the cream of the Canberra crop. 
Heading up the cast are Jim Adamik as the talkative Benedick and Lainie Hart as his female sparring partner, Beatrice.

The other cast members for this major production are Joshua Bell (Borachio), Riley Bell (Dogberry), Michael Cooper (Town Clerk/Sexton), Euan Bowen (Messenger/Rev. Francis),  Liz Bradley (Mistress Nell Verges), Fraser Findlay (Balthasar), Nikki-Lynne Hunter (Mistress Georgia Seacoal), David Kavanagh (Don John), Bojana Kos (Margaret), Alessa Kron (Ursula), Bradley J McDowell (Conrad), Colin Milner (Antonio), Ben Russell (Don Pedro),  Vivek Sharma (Claudio), Liz de Totth (Mistress Imogen Oatcake) and Tony Turner (Leonato).

In her interpretation I Clelland has kept the WWI commemorations in mind by setting the play in the 1920s, just after the war, oddly in Melbourne. Her costumes tell the rest.

“Much Ado about Nothing” at Theatre 3, Repertory Lane, Acton, 8pm Friday September 18 until October 3, bookings to 6257 1950 or canberrarep.org.au

Photos by Helen Drum