THE COMEDY OF ERRORS

It may be Shakespeare’s shortest play, but it’s also his funniest. Identical twin boys, separated in infancy by a storm, are reunited as young adults, aided by their slaves, also identical twins. This Arkangel production is superb in bringing to life and laughter a bawdy, hilarious tale of mistaken identities and misadventures. Underlying the witty dialogue is an offbeat, bright, and bouncy musical score (piano and xylophone), punctuated by unexpected bursts of rib-tickling but authentic sound effects. Outstanding performances are given by David Tennant, Brendan Coyle, Jason O’Mara, and Alan Cox, but the kudos go to Helen Ryan, who portrays the wicked Abbess, a performance not to be missed. The Bard was never better. M.T.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 06/ JAN 07]