Much Ado

Strong, competent and really entertaining adaptation of a classic! It's a tricky order to deliver a contemporary Shakespeare but the Shakespeare Sisters deliver a youthful and energetic version that helps navigate the story with ease for those new to the work of the Bard.

Considering everything from a relatively new, unnamed cast to a small budget and limited resources, the passion behind the execution and indeed for the original material is plain to see.

Not only does it provide an impressive calling card for the Shakespeare Sisters as a directing duo, it also provides a platform for some impressive emerging acting talent with standout performances.

As soon as I saw the opening shot - the boys' rugby team in their minibus - I knew we were in safe hands. Turning Much Ado About Nothing into a teen romcom is a stroke of genius! The young, enthusiastic cast create an atmosphere of fun, romance, friendship, petty squabbles and youthful angst. There's plenty of chemistry between the young leads but mention should also be given to the two older characters, Leonato (Peter Saracen) and Antonio (Toby Wynn Davies), who add gravitas and weight to the proceedings. And kudos too to Balthasar (Joseph Emms) and Friar Francis (Harish Goutam) who add some excellent moments of comedy. A real treat. I look forward to seeing what the Shakespeare Sisters do next.

Loved this! I'm not a Shakespeare aficionado, and I found this an accessible and fun introduction to Much Ado. Creative, funny and perfectly-pitched original music!

Amusing levels of hubris lead amateurs to direct Shakespeare - often with the most cringe-inducing utterly clueless results. Known widely in the business as am-dram.

And it is the same here!

A group of amateur actors apparently untrained are grifted into a formless oblivious "adaptation".

Somehow butchering the inherent structure of the play, this leaden student experience lumpily plods in the most unfunny, tone-deaf sequence all the way to its miserable termination.

The actors lack any or all charisma, not one joke lands.

The execution is a kind of grotesque - stultifying in its lumpen qualities.

This is a failed student film and in previous generations would have been quietly set aside rather than driven through the embarrassment of release.

I saw this very recently and I am blown away with the skill that the Shakespeare sisters have in creating this film. Neither adding in a single line outside of the original and doing the entire film on a ultra low budget just goes to show the dexterity and potential mastery that the Sisters can achieve. Moulding the Shakespeare into something of their own and focussing the light more on Hero and Claudio I thought was a very well mastered plot.

Although aspects do need to be improved, this is only their second film! Some excellent acting from Emma beth-jones and cleverly crafted humour that creeps in every now and then just shows the budding ideas that the sisters can execute.

Finally the music. One of my favourite aspects of the film is the music and the idea of using and supporting small indie bands to produce it was excellent and well accomplished.

Overall a very enjoyable Indie film and I highly recommend watching it.