Tour 2004

Much Ado About Nothing
Twelfth Night

Starring:
Carly Hillman
Norman Pace
Robert J Williamson

Performed at:
Kew Gardens, London
Preston Manor Gardens, Brighton
Nottingham Castle
Cannizaro Park, London
Holland Park, London
Kirkstall Abbey, Leeds

2004 reviews

"Thank you for a great, memorable afternoon - beautifully spoken, clear and hugely enjoyable. Bravo!" Kenneth Branagh, Actor

"Congratulations to the cast - a splendid evening!" June Whitfield, Actress

"These productions are powered by a vigour and enthusiasm." The Sunday Times, Culture magazine

"The R. J. Williamson Company is a heroic enterprise - one of the best touring companies in the UK that regularly performs Shakespeare plays outdoors - and is bursting with talent.

The sort of energy and irreverence appropriate to a Shakespeare comedy. The scenes of the riff-raff and menials are authentically hilarious and exhilarating. All the ensemble acting is wonderful, particularly Sir Toby (Christopher Robert), an enjoyable mixture of grandiloquent yet friskily rambunctious, wonderful Wayne Sleep as the Fool, and Wayne Cater as Malvolio, strutting around like a tiny, penguin-pompous Tory counsellor, the sort of bully who is over-compensating for being tiny and ostracized, and is both paranoid and credulous. When the whole cast join the Fool in singing the last song, we are left nostalgic for Illyria."

J. O'Grady, Times Online

"The great Wayne Sleep as Feste, Olivia's fool, catches the ultimate sadness and despair of the jester. Sleep delivers his songs with just a tinge of plangency and dances his way into the hearts of the audience." Wharfedale Times

The British Shakespeare Company's Shakespeare festivals have now become an established part of the Summer calendar and once again they showed why. This year they treated us to a comic double bill with old favourites "Much Ado About Nothing" and "Twelth Night or, What You Will". Joining the company this year were Norman Pace, Carly Hillman (from Eastenders) and the return of Wayne Sleep.

"Much Ado About Nothing" saw company leader Robert J Williamson reprising his irresistible performance as the classic buffoon Benedick. Penny Woodman played his feisty foil, Beatrice and Norman Pace took on the role of the original dim policeman, Dogberry. Once again, the British Shakespeare Company deliver the comic elements of the play without any pretension or bowdlerisation, and also have the sufficient power to carry off the dramatic scenes with suitable effect.

However, the real gem this year is "Twelfth Night". Rising star Siwan Morris makes a sensational impression as Viola and RSC/National theatre actor Wayne Carter turns Malvolio into a real 'little big man' with his short stature and lofty voice. Anna Delchev also sparkles as the cheeky Maria and Wayne Sleep is delightful as the fool Feste. The production brims over with energy, wit and on-stage chemistry. I've seen quite a few variations of "Twelth Night" now but this one is definitely outshines the rest. No-one can perform Shakespeare's comedies like the British Shakespeare Company. Simon Netherwood, Alive.co.uk

"This is a company of professional actors whose versatility and sense of timing, drama and comedy produce scintiliiating performances." Worthing Herald

Scenes from Twelfth Night

Wayne Sleep and Norman Pace