Tímea Komáromi: Where Can I Hide?

Being a comedy, Much Ado About Nothing gives those who direct it a great opportunity to make the audience laugh. Just as the performance put on in Centrál Theatre, directed by Tamás Puskás did so. I would not say the production tries to present anything new or particularly deep but the task that it takes on as a comedy is fully achieved. Perhaps the best witness to this is the audience who cheered on during the entire performance.

The two scenes I consider to be really important in the play and in its theatrical or filmic adaptations are the ones where both Beatrice and Benedick overhear their intriguing friends and family who try to unite the two proud characters by giving them a little push in the right direction. What the production in Centrál does with these two scenes is worth reflecting on.

First, there is the scene with Benedick that went beyond my expectations. It is extremely funny and smart as well. Although I cannot fully grasp the idea behind the setting of the winter garden just yet, one thing is certain, the overhearing scenes show that the chosen setting functions really well. Benedick, played by Zoltán Schmied, hides behind every bush in the garden while losing his blanket that gets stuck on a bench. However, after there is nowhere to hide anymore he takes a dive into a small pond. He reappears soaking wet on stage contemplating what to do with the information he now has, when he realises there is a little fish stuck in his shirt and throws it back into the pond. All these little turns make the scene really memorable and hilarious. Zoltán Schmied is aided in this scene by the actors playing Don Pedro, Claudio and Leonato, whose outstanding performances and scheming skills contribute to the scene becoming so comic.

   

Secondly, Beatrice’s overhearing scene on its own functions fine in the performance though it is not as funny and exciting as Benedick’s scene is or as it could have been. Just remember Éva Almási’s memorable scene in Tamás Szirtes’s production where Beatrice hides behind curtains and climbs that ladder. Here, Beatrice, played by Lia Pokorny, crawls on the stage and hides anywhere she can just like Benedick does but overall the scene becomes a bit flat. Though supporting characters such as Ursula’s still gives the audience a great deal to laugh about. Furthermore, Pokorny’s reaction to what she overhears is golden. Her face expressing surprise, faint and shock at the same time really gives a plus to the closing of the scene.

 

In conclusion, even though, compared to one another the two overhearing scenes may not be equally funny so to say; both Pokorny and Schmied give outstanding performances in Puskás’s production. Both actors were excellent choices for the roles and they show great chemistry on stage as well. Their love story puts Hero and Claudio’s narrative in the shade. Schmied and Pokorny give life to their characters and make them so loveable that it becomes impossible not to root for the couple to finally overcome their pride and give over to love.

  

 

The photos are taken from Centrál Theatre’s web page: http://centralszinhaz.hu/component/ohanah/sok-hho-semmiert-1?Itemid=1331