The Comedy of Errors

This is a delightful comedy that is primarily built on mistaken identities and the confusion caused by identical twins separated at birth and the process of their rediscovery. Melbourne Shakespeare Company has taken an extremely jovial and energetic approach to the text and infused it with wry humour, great slapstick comedy and endearing musical interludes. The combination makes the show a powerfully entertaining piece of theatre.

The outdoor venue exploits the evocative location, and the simple but striking use of props and costumes allows the hilarity of the confusing scenarios to shine. The mirroring of the identical twins via costuming is extremely well executed and this allows the performers to give the characters a somewhat different edge. This makes the case of mistaken identities perfectly clear while also offering the opportunity to retain the idea that they are completely different personas. Antipholus of Ephesus (Callum Mackay) emphasises his indignation at the inappropriate responses of others and the occurrence of strange events. Antipholus of Syracuse (Johnathan Peck) emphasises the incredulity and bizarre nature of his circumstances. The approach to Dromio of Ephesus (Joanna Halliday) and Dromio of Syracuse (Nicola Bowman) is somewhat different. They are more indistinguishable as a persona and the similarity in their physicality reinforces the uncanny nature of two individuals who can be so alike. All of this effectively leads to numerous moments of double takes and hilarious exasperation. The pace of the show builds up quite quickly to a high-octane level that is sustained virtually to the end of the performance. This leaves little room for pause or nuance in the plot or characterisations and does tend to place attention firmly on delivering the farce.

The musical talent of the cast especially adds a delightful element to the play. This is achieved with very little instrumental accompaniment and relies on good, strong melodic vocals. This contributes beautifully to the festive atmosphere. The overall expert comic timing displayed by the entire ensemble and the extraordinary physicality of the staging guarantees a fun-filled event. This also enables the audience to appreciate the more impish side of Shakespeare.

Patricia Di Risio