County Shakespeare Company opened Much Ado About Nothing beneath the stars on Friday night.

“The original rom-com,” as the CSC bills it, the play is a romance, full of comic misunderstandings, intrigue — and, of course, marriage.

When a troop of soldiers arrives in Messina, we meet two contrasting men. Claudio (James Tennant) is straightforward and sincere—ready to fall in love. But his friend, Benedick (James Fraser) is more complicated. A wit and a rake, Benedick’s identity is wrapped up in a misogynist worldview: he will dally with women but never relinquish his masculine independence to marriage.

Each soldier finds the lover he deserves. Hero (Felicia Holmes), the daughter of a wealthy family, falls for Claudio, only to have her illegitimate brother Don John (Michael Code) plot to ruin the romance for his own financial gain.

The straightforward Claudio is easily susceptible to manipulation. He falls into a jealous rage, and is ready to leave Hero at the altar, based on rumour (or “noting,” in Shakespeare’s play on words) alone.

Benedick, meanwhile, falls in love with Hero’s cousin, the clever and independent Beatrice. The battle of wits that ensues is the focus of the play. Each character needs a comeuppance in order to develop into a true partner.

The challenge of Shakespearean comedy now is making it accessible. Some companies aim at broad slapstick to animate 400-year-old jokes. Others attempt to naturalize them into everyday speech. 

Lead actors Jean Parker (Hero) and James Fraser (Benedick) play both sides of this line, in part because they double as the bumbling constables Dogberry and Verges. The contrast of high and low in their matched roles creates great comic energy.

Meanwhile, Michael Code’s villainous Don John reminds of Alan Rickman’s Severus Snape in both dress and demeanor. He is plotting, judgmental, aloof and narcissistic, a perfect foil to the more sensitive lovers.

The Théâtre Roulant outdoor stage is unadorned, except for a few props to suggest a garden, where most of the action takes place. The eavesdropping scenes were perfect out in the open air. As both Beatrice and Benedick “hide” and listen, their mimed reactions to those who are fully aware they are being “spied on” is only heightened by the in-plain-sight design of the set.

The actors work hard to convey the dynamics of a scene. The costumes are generically “Elizabethan;” as this is a comedy, swords are worn and rattled, but never drawn. The supporting cast—there are a full dozen, plus an accompanying guitarist—approach their roles with dynamic conviction, bringing to life not just their individual characters, but the types they stand for.

Love and misunderstanding, jealousies, both sexual and financial, and contempt for women are nothing new. Comedy with its happy endings offers us an ideal order: we need more of it, and turning back to the master is always welcome.

Much Ado About Nothing continues through 5 September. For tickets, visit countyshakespearecompany.ca