Lenny Henry stars in Shakespeare’s A Comedy of Errors

Lenny Henry leads a troupe of fine comic actors in Shakespeare's furiously paced comedy of mistaken identities  and the misadventures of no less then two pairs of twins separated at birth. This improbable tale of unbelievable coincidences will be screened live at the St James Cavalier cinema tonight. There will be encore performances on March 10, 23, 31.

Two sets of twins separated at birth collide in the same city without meeting for one crazy day, as multiple mistaken identities lead to confusion on a grand scale. And for no one more so than Antipholus of Syracuse and his servant Dromio who, in search of their brothers, arrive in a land entirely foreign to their distant home. A buzzing contemporary metropolis, to the outsiders it appears a place of wonderment and terror, where baffling gifts and unexplained hostilities abound.

Am I in earth, in heaven, or in hell?

Sleeping or waking? mad or well advised?

Known unto these, and to myself disguised!

Consistently recognised by strangers, the visitors question their very selves as the turmoil escalates. Meanwhile, Aegeon, father to the Antipholus twins, has been captured searching for his sons and, as an illegal immigrant, is sentenced to death at sunset.

Do you know me, sir? Am I Dromio? Am I your man? Am I myself?

Critics had high praise for Lenny Henry 's performance as Antipholus of Syracuse remarking on his great  "tremendous stage presence", with one calling him "beyond good".
Writing in The Telegraph, Charles Spencer said Henry "once again impresses" adding: "Cooke and his fine company achieve the transition from ribald humour to something deeper and truly heartfelt with grace".
Adriana mistakes Antipholus of Syracuse for her husband in the play

He also praised Claudie Blakley, who plays Adriana, for "a delightful comic turn".

Sam Marlowe of The Arts Desk also praised Henry, saying he "makes pleasingly ferocious work of the slapstick violence with which he repeatedly punishes his perplexed servant".

"This is comedy with bite, all the better for the touch of the maniacal that tinges its laughter," he said.

While Quentin Letts wrote in The Daily Mail: "Mr Henry's technique in the fight scenes is a bit dodgy but he makes up for it with his energy, some rationed gurning and his stage presence".
The Independent's Paul Taylor said although the comic was the main box office draw, "there's no suspicion that the play has been twisted into a star vehicle for him". He added: "He's part of a fine ensemble that work hard to animate an over-cluttered concept and eventually drive the proceedings to a pleasing crescendo of comic mayhem." Giving it a score of four out of five, The Guardian's Michael Billington found the production "slightly strenuous fun".

"There are times when [director Dominic] Cooke's determination to create a massively detailed cityscape suffocates some of the play's mistaken identity fun. "But in the last quarter-hour his production achieves a magical simplicity that induces a sense of awe and wonder," he added.

Tickets at €12 (live show) and €10 (encore) can be booked by calling 21 223200 or emailing [email protected].