Much Ado About Nothing

CL Critic Kevin C. Madigan Recommends: The 2022-23 season at the Shakespeare Tavern opens with the comedy “Much Ado About Nothing” on Sep. 10. “Confirmed bachelor Benedick struggles to admit his love for the equally witty and equally independent Beatrice, while young lovers Claudio and Hero survive the devious meddling of others on their way to the altar,” the synopsis reminds us. Set in Messina on the isle of Sicily and first performed around 1600, its running themes involve deception, cuckoldry, spying and mistaken identity, all tied together with the ever-present banter and double-entendres. The lead couple is played by Jacklyn Hofmann Faircloth and her husband Nicholas Faircloth, who met and began courting while working at the Tavern. The play is directed by Andy Houchins, responsible for at least a dozen similar works over the years at the venue. — KCM