Imogen Says Nothing

Modicum Theatre presents Imogen Says Nothing at Melville Theatre. Inspired by a ghost character in Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, and set backstage with Shakespeare’s theatre company, it comes hot on the heels of Melville Theatre Company’s William Shakespeare’s Long Lost First Play, accidentally giving Shakespeare fans a mini season of Shakespeare inspired work.

Subtitled (nowhere in the programme) The Annotated Life of Imogen of Messina, last sighted in the First Folio of William Shakespeare's Much Adoe About Nothing, we meet the mysterious Imogen, a strange woman who has travelled from Wiltshire to ask a mapmaker to reverse a name change on her hometown. She falls in with a group of players as they perform Much Ado About Nothing and A Winter’s Tale and we discover how Imogen’s name comes to appear in the text. A second plot deals with the bears involved in the Bear Baiting arena next door to the theatre, and we learn that these two stories have more in common than we first realised.

Modicum have managed to use a borrowed theatre, with limited rehearsal in the venue, very well - especially considering that their limited rehearsal time was shortened by power outages in the area. Oscar Sheil has created a set that is easily rearranged to created multiple locales. Steph Ferguson has sourced era-appropriate costumes - with simple additions to create “bears’. There is a strong soundscape created by Brendan Miskelly (although it sometimes swallows dialogue) and Jordan Baynes has created an effective lighting design.

Peri Watson is enigmatic and interesting in the central and title role, and her strong anchoring performance helps the show to succeed. Kanesthorn Anamwong makes an interesting ‘hero-of-sorts’ and a likeable ‘romantic lead’ as Henry - with Jordan Holloway likeable as the knock-about actor John.

Sean Wcislo plays William Shakespeare as a stressed, working writer, with Ryan Partridge filling the famous boots of Richard Burbage. Aaron Hamilton and Julia Hale are particularly strong as Alexander and Nicholas, two very different young actors who play the women in Shakespeare’s plays, giving us characters with depth and nuance. The cast is completed with solid supporting performances from Mark Tilly as the Crier, Andrea Kendrick as Anna and Courtney Maldo as the Warden.

An interesting exploration of Shakespearian performance - and bears.

Kimberley Shaw

Images by Em Dickinson, Para Studios