BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE DIRECTOR JAMES EVANS ONLINE RESOURCES · Much Ado About Nothing Online Resources 2 ONLINE RESOURCES MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING © Bell Shakespeare 2019, unless

DIRECTOR JAMES EVANS

ONLINE RESOURCES

BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

ONLINE RESOURCES MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING © Bell Shakespeare 2019, unless otherwise indicated. Provided all acknowledgements are retained, this material may be used, reproduced, and communicated free of charge for non-commercial educational purposes within Australian and overseas schools.

2Online ResourcesMuch Ado About Nothing

ONLINE RESOURCES MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING © Bell Shakespeare 2019, unless otherwise indicated. Provided all acknowledgements are retained, this material may be used, reproduced, and communicated free of charge by educational institutions in Australian and overseas.

CAST

Beatrice Zindzi Okenyo

Hero / Conrade Vivienne Awosoga

Don Pedro / 1st Watchman Danny Ball

Margaret / Verges Marissa Bennett

Dogberry / Balthasar Mandy Bishop

Claudio / Borachio Will McDonald

Antonio / Sexton Suzanne Pereira

Benedick Duncan Ragg

Don John / 2nd Watchman Paul Reichstein

Leonato David Whitney

CREATIVES

Director James Evans

Designer Pip Runciman

Lighting Designer Niklas Pajanti

Composer & Sound Designer Andrée Greenwell

Movement & Fight Director Nigel Poulton

Voice & Text Coach Jess Chambers

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING COMPANY LIST

Cover image: 2019 Much Ado About Nothing, Photographer: Pierre Toussaint



CREW

Touring Company Manager Nicole Eyles

Deputy Stage Manager Bridget Samuel

Assistant Stage Manager Sean Proude

Head Electrician Joe Cox

Head Mechanist Hayley Stafford

Head of Audio Nick Toll

Head of Costume Hannah Lobelson

Costume Cutter Robyn Fruend

Costume Assistant Brooke Cooper-Scott

Production Assistant Paisley Williams

Design Secondment Maeli Cherel

Set Built by Sydney Theatre Company

Lighting supplied by Chameleon Touring Systems

Freight provided by ATS Logistics



BACKGROUND



Don Pedro, the Prince of Aragon, has just ended an uprising by his half-brother, Don John. The two princes agree to a truce and they travel to the home of Leonato, the Governor of Messina, Sicily, for at least a month of R&R. Travelling with them are Count Claudio of Florence and Benedick of Padua.

Upon arriving at Leonato’s house, Benedick immediately starts verbally sparring with Beatrice, the niece of Leonato, the two having known each other for some time. Meanwhile, Claudio confesses to Don Pedro his instant and overwhelming love for Leonato’s beautiful daughter, Hero.

Don Pedro agrees to woo Hero on Claudio’s behalf at a party that evening. Don John’s henchman Borachio overhears the plan and brings the news to Don John, who decides to use the intelligence to cause some mischief.

At the party, Don John tells Claudio that Don Pedro is actually wooing Hero for himself, but Claudio soon learns this is not true. Hero and Claudio are united and make plans to marry within a week.

To pass the time before the wedding, Don Pedro decides to trick Benedick and Beatrice into falling in love with each other. With the help of Leonato, Claudio, Hero and Ursula (Hero’s maid), Don Pedro sets up a plan for Benedick and Beatrice to overhear conversations about how much the other loves them. Both Benedick and Beatrice believe what they hear, and are surprised to find they have feelings for each other, and change their demeanors from outward disdain to inward love. Though they won’t admit it.

Meanwhile, Don John’s mischief making turns to a dark and cruel trick. He arranges for Borachio to woo Hero’s other maid, Margaret, at Hero’s window. He informs Don Pedro and Claudio that Hero is going to be unfaithful that night, and arranges for them to be witnesses. They hear Borachio calling Margaret ‘Hero’, and believe Don John’s lie.

Later that night, the Watch, led by Dogberry and Verges, prepare to carry out their evening duties. Borachio is overheard telling Conrade about the plot, and the two henchmen are arrested. Dogberry and Verges begin an interrogation, but the time of Claudio and Hero’s wedding arrives before they can reach any conclusions.

In the church, Claudio and Don Pedro reveal the ‘truth’ about Hero, accusing her of being unfaithful in front of her friends and family. Hero is shocked and faints, and Don Pedro and Claudio leave. Don John flees the estate. Hero protests her innocence and the priest supports her, suggesting they should pretend she has died, until the truth is discovered. Beatrice and Benedick declare their feelings for each other, and Beatrice tells Benedick to kill Claudio for shaming Hero. Benedick agrees to challenge Claudio. Leonato and Antonio also offer to fight Claudio, blaming him for the “death” of Hero.

SYNOPSIS: MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING



Dogberry manages to uncover Borachio and Conrade’s evil plan, obtain a confession, and arrests them. He informs Leonato of Hero’s innocence, and they send troops for Don John’s capture. Claudio realises his error in judgement and feels remorse, begging forgiveness of Leonato. Leonato demands that Claudio mourn Hero, and in recompense, marry his brother Antonio’s daughter – who happens to look exactly like Hero. Claudio agrees. At the ceremony, the bride is revealed to be Hero, still alive. Beatrice and Benedick stop denying their love for each other and openly confess their true feelings. They agree to be married. As they are all about to dance, they receive news of Don John’s capture.

Much Ado About Nothing rehearsals © Prudence Upton



BACKGROUND TO MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

Much Ado About Nothing is by far the most prose-heavy play Shakespeare wrote. Only a quarter of the lines are in verse. It was first performed in 1598 or 1599, either at the Curtain, north of the city of London, or possibly at the newly built Globe (1599). Like most of Shakespeare’s plays, Much Ado About Nothing is based on (or inspired by) pre-existing material. In this case, Shakespeare relied on two sources – Ludovico Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso and Matteo Bandello’s La Prima Parte de le Novelle.

Ariosto’s story is set in Scotland and is told from the point of view of the maid, Dalinda (Margaret in Shakespeare’s play). Dalinda is servant to Genevra, the daughter of the king of Scotland. Dalinda’s lover, Polynesso, convinces Dalinda to dress up like Genevra and make love to him. Little does she know that the intended audience of the spectacle is Ariodante, a rival knight to Polynesso, who is in love with Genevra.

Bandello’s novella is set in Messina, like Much Ado About Nothing, and features a wealthy knight, Sir Timbreo (the equivalent of Shakespeare’s Claudio) a courtier of King Piero of Aragon. Sir Timbreo falls in love with Fenicia, the daughter of Lionato de’ Lionati. Sir Timbreo’s comrade Sir Girondo is also in love with Fenicia and decides to ruin Sir Timbreo’s courtship by deceiving him, in much the same way Claudio is deceived in Much Ado About Nothing.

As usual, Shakespeare takes his sources and alters them, heightening and focusing the drama. Much Ado About Nothing’s Messina has a far more nuanced sense of rank and social hierarchy than its predecessors. Also, in the deception of Claudio, Shakespeare shifts the source of the slander from a rival lover (Polynesso or Sir Girondo) to a disgruntled villain, Don John. The Don John character in the original is romantically interested in Hero, whereas Shakespeare removes that motive. Shakespeare’s Don John’s motives, then, are more murky than a simple love rivalry.

The character of Claudio is far quicker to judge his betrothed than either Ariodante or Sir Timbreo. And his reaction is very public. Bandello’s Sir Timbreo politely sends a message to Lionato prior to the wedding to tell him it’s off. Claudio waits almost until ‘I do’ and then shames her in front of everyone.

The most important addition by Shakespeare is the relationship of Benedick and Beatrice. The source for those two characters is less clear and they are likely to be largely Shakespeare’s invention. Benedick and Beatrice’s witty dialogue and the very contemporary trajectory of their relationship makes them a favourite of modern audiences. They have clearly relegated Claudio and Hero’s story to the sub-plot. In creating Benedick and Beatrice, this feuding pair who end up together, Shakespeare has inspired a romantic comedy trope that has been employed by writers ever since. We see it in Pride and Prejudice, Beauty and the Beast, Star Wars, When Harry Met Sally, and more.



Also of note is that this play was the last in which Shakespeare wrote a particular type of clown or Fool. The character of Dogberry was originally played by actor Will Kempe, a member of Shakespeare’s troupe, The Lord Chamberlain’s Men. Kempe was a gifted comic clown and dancer, playing such Shakespearean Fools as Falstaff, Bottom and Dogberry. It is believed that Kempe may have enjoyed improvising, to the frustration of his fellow actors. Much Ado About Nothing premiered in 1598, and soon after, Kempe left the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, Dogberry being his final Shakespearean role. Shakespeare changed the way he wrote his Fool characters after Kempe’s departure, exploring more intelligent, wise, witty Fools, rather than bumbling clowns better suited to Kempe’s performances.




A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR JAMES EVANS

Much Ado About Nothing is the original romantic comedy. But like all of Shakespeare’s comedies, tragedy hovers dangerously close. Claudio’s appalling treatment of Hero, her supposed death, and subsequent ‘rebirth’ sit disruptively alongside the sparkling wit of Beatrice and Benedick, and the buffoonery of Dogberry and the Watch. Shakespeare was never constrained by the limitations of genre. Much Ado About Nothing is technically a comedy, insofar as in the final scene people get married instead of killed, but it is essentially a hybrid play.

The Hero/Claudio storyline is based on the work of other writers, including one of Shakespeare’s favourite sources, Matteo Bandello. Shakespeare had already had success borrowing from Bandello (see Romeo and Juliet), and the melodramatic tale of a rich nobleman who breaks off his wedding on false grounds was too juicy to resist.

As always, Shakespeare adapted his sources to heighten the drama or increase the complexity of the characters. Bandello’s equivalent of Claudio breaks off the wedding by letter, while Shakespeare has his character do it publicly. Bandello’s bad guy is motivated by his love for the Hero character, while Much Ado About Nothing’s Don John has no such interest. Unrequited love is too simple a motive for Shakespeare’s villains.

Then there’s Beatrice and Benedick. The famous sparring lovers appear to be Shakespeare’s invention, and as the original ‘from-hate-to-love’ couple there is a direct line from Beatrice and Benedick to Lizzie and Darcy to Harry and Sally and dozens of Hollywood rom-com pairs. Beatrice is an outsider – her mind is too broad for the world in which she finds herself. She loves Benedick and sees potential in him, but first she must wake him up and help him see how damaging the status quo has been for women.

This leads to another important tweak Shakespeare makes to his source material: he expands the role of Don Pedro as Claudio’s ‘wingman’. An unfettered bro culture spawns the misogyny that permeates this play, and Don Pedro is the bro-in-chief, leader of the locker-room talk. It is Beatrice’s exhausting task to try and dismantle this toxic structure, sometimes through humour:

“I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow, than a man swear he loves me.”

...and sometimes through anger:

“Manhood is melted into curtsies, valour into compliment, and men are only turned into tongue, and trim ones too. He is now as valiant as Hercules that only tells a lie and swears it. I cannot be a man with wishing, therefore I will die a woman with grieving.”



Much Ado About Nothing is full of innovation, but it was also the end of an era for Shakespeare. Written in 1598, it was the last of his plays to employ the famous clown Will Kempe, whose performance as Dogberry doubtless inspired Hamlet’s advice to the Players a couple of years later: “Let those that play your clowns speak no more than is set down for them.” It was also probably the last play Shakespeare’s company performed at their temporary premises, the Curtain, before they crossed the river, built the Globe and changed theatre forever.

In its interrogation of gender roles, Much Ado About Nothing reaches across 421 years and speaks directly to our time. And, in my opinion, it ends with hope. Not in a wide-eyed, naïve way, but with the hard-bitten weariness of experience. A hope that, despite all the ways we hurt each other, love is possible. It has to be. In fact, it may be the only thing that saves us.

… Love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove. O no! It is an ever-fixed mark That looks on tempests and is never shaken…

William Shakespeare, Sonnet 116

Director James Evans Much Ado About Nothing rehearsals © Prudence Upton



OTHER ADAPTATIONS



Much Ado About Nothing has remained a popular source material for adaptations across many art forms. There are a number of operas based on the play, and a number of silent film versions, although the first talking film was the 1993 film version.

In what is arguably the most well-known version, the 1993 film was directed by Kenneth Branagh, starring Branagh himself as Benedick and Emma Thompson as Beatrice. At the time of filming, Branagh and Thompson were husband and wife. The all-star cast includes Denzel Washington (Don Pedro), Michael Keaton (Dogberry), Keanu Reeves (Don John), and Kate Beckinsale (Hero). The film was shot in Italy, giving the story the beauty and hot-blooded passion of an Italian summer.

The BBC’s Shakespeare Re-Told (2005) television series included an adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing, starring Damian Lewis and Sarah Parish as Benedick and Beatrice, and Billie Piper as Hero. Set within a news television world, Beatrice and Benedick are news anchors, with Hero as the weather presenter. The plot is made by other characters working within the station itself. Interestingly, this adaptation, while it follows the story of the original play, diverts with its ending. In a much more modern retelling, Hero does not forgive Claudio and does not agree to return to the relationship. Instead, we end with the marriage of Benedick and Beatrice, with Claudio and Hero as best man and maid of honour.

In 2012, director and writer Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel and Firefly, released a black and white film version. Using actors from his television series, production took place over a short period of time (about two weeks) and took place in his own home as the sole filming location. While shot in black and white, the story and style is thoroughly contemporary, and adds more backstory to certain characters and relationships than is in the original play.

There have been, and continue to be, countless stage versions, notably The Q Brothers’ Funk It Up About Nothing which premiered at Chicago Shakespeare Theater before touring internationally. This hip hop version includes a live DJ, MC’s, b-boys and b-girls. The show takes Beatrice and Benedick’s verbal sparring and translates it into rap battles and rhymed verse, for a fun modern take on the original play.

UK band Mumford and Sons’ album Sigh No More takes its title and many lyrics and ideas across the album from the play.

ADAPTATIONS OF MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING



ADAPTATIONS OF MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

Emma Thompson (Beatrice) and Kenneth Branagh (Benedick) in the 1993 film version Directed by Kenneth Branagh

Alexis Denisof (Benedick) and Amy Acker (Beatrice) in the 2012 film version Directed by Joss Whedon

Sarah Parish (Beatrice) and Damian Lewis (Benedick) in the 2005 Shakespeare Re-Told television version Directed by Brian Percival

The Q Brothers’ Funk It Up About Nothing



CHARACTERS



DON JOHNRecently vanquished

in battle by Don Pedro

leONatOGovernor

sextONA clerk

Friar FraNcisComes up with the plan to

restore Hero’s honour

DOgberryConstable

tHe watcHVolunteer foot patrol

VergesDogberry’s 2IC

Half-brothers

Brothers

Servant

Daughter

Niece

Attendants

Followers

Take the rocky road to marriage

Lovers

“Merry war” of words masks their true feelings for each other

Arrested by

DON peDrOPrince of Aragon

aNtONiO

beatrice

HerO

margaretUnwittingly involved

in the deception of Claudio

ursulaHelps Hero gull Beatrice

clauDiOCount of Florence

bOracHiODeceives Claudio and Don PedrocONraDe

Calls Dogberry an ass

baltHasarMusician/singer

beNeDickLord of Padua

a bOyThe

soldiers

The governor’s household aT

messina

Townspeople of messina

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING CHARACTER CHART

THE SOLDIERS

Don Pedro Prince of Aragon Don John illegitimate brother to Don Pedro Benedick a lord of Padua Claudio a lord of Florence Balthasar an attendant to Don Pedro Conrade companion to Don John Borachio companion to Don John A Lord

THE HOUSEHOLD OF LEONATO

Leonato Governor of Messina Antonio brother to Leonato Hero daughter to Leonato Beatrice niece to Leonato Margaret waiting woman to Hero Ursula waiting woman to Hero

TOWNSPEOPLE OF MESSINA

Friar Francis Dogberry master constable Verges assistant to Dogberry Members of the Watch



BENEDICK

... But it is certain I am loved of all ladies, only you excepted: and I would I could find in my heart that I had not a hard heart; for, truly, I love none.Act 1, Scene 1

Benedick is a young lord from Padua and the lead male character of the play. He has been fighting under Don Pedro and is friend to him and Claudio. While his friends are interested in relationships and women, Benedick vows he will remain a bachelor for life. Benedick and Beatrice have a long association with each other and enjoy exchanging witty, barbed comments in a “merry war”. Benedick is the victim of a friendly trick to set him up with Beatrice. Despite their earlier purported disdain for one another, the two eventually admit their true feelings for one another and agree to marry. Benedick sits somewhat apart from the other male soldier characters in the play, and distances himself from Claudio and Don Pedro after their cruel treatment of Hero. He challenges Claudio on insistence from Beatrice, proving his change of allegiance.

BEATRICE

I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me.Act 1, Scene 1

Beatrice is niece to Leonato and the lead female character of the play. She is generous and loving, but also feisty, cynical and does not hold back in speaking her mind. In this way, Beatrice does not behave in the way that women in this time and society were expected to behave. Like Benedick, she therefore sits somewhat apart from the other female characters in the play, and despite her closeness with her cousin Hero, Beatrice’s behaviour is in stark contrast to Hero’s. Beatrice, like Benedick, is also not interested in marriage. She refuses to marry unless she can find a partner that equals her in wit and intelligence, and is not interested in being subservient to a husband. Despite Beatrice’s outward shows of confidence and sharp wit, she is lured into the trick and believes Benedick to be in love with her, showing her openness to the concept of love despite her protestations. Beatrice is fiercely loyal, particularly to Hero, and is enraged when her cousin is treated so badly by Claudio and Don Pedro. She urges Benedick to challenge his friend, and after initial disagreement, he vows to do so for her.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING CHARACTER PROFILES



DON PEDRO

I shall see thee, ere I die, look pale with love.

Act 1, Scene 1

Don Pedro is the character with the highest social and political stature in the play. He is a nobleman from Aragon, an old friend of Leonato, and close with his soldiers Benedick and Claudio. Although he is generally good-natured and generous to his friends, like Leonato he is quick to make negative judgements of others and to take revenge. He is a key player in the trick to lure Benedick and Beatrice together, and believes Hero to be disloyal to Claudio without any hesitation. Don Pedro does not have any romantic interests in the play, seemingly outside of the circle of marriage and relationships. At the end of the play, Benedick says to him “Prince, thou art sad. Get thee a wife!” (Act 5, Scene 4).

LEONATO

By my troth, niece, thou wilt never get thee a husband, if thou be so shrewd of thy tongue.Act 2, Scene 1

Leonato is the respected and wealthy governor of Messina, father of Hero and uncle of Beatrice. He is second only in the play’s social structure to Don Pedro. He has a great desire to see Hero and Beatrice married and takes part in the trickery to match Beatrice with Benedick. Despite his good intentions, Leonato is easily swayed by Don John’s deceptive plan and initially distrusts Hero’s innocence. Once he learns the truth, Leonato is enraged by the plot to destroy Hero’s honour and happiness, though still allows Claudio to marry his daughter.

ANTONIO

If you go on thus, you will kill yourself: And ‘tis not wisdom thus to second grief Against yourself.Act 5, Scene 1

Antonio is the brother of Leonato and uncle to Hero and Beatrice. He is fiercely loyal to his family and nieces, defending Hero’s honour. He is also a strong support for his brother, Leonato, and urges him to not surrender to grief following the events where Hero is slandered.



CLAUDIO

Can the world buy such a jewel?Act 1, Scene 1

Claudio is a young lord from Florence who has been fighting with Benedick in the service of Don Pedro. On Claudio’s return to Messina he falls in love with Hero. Although he has a strong sense of honour, he is drawn in by Don John’s trick to prove Hero’s supposed unfaithfulness. Claudio is a count and is of a higher social stature than Benedick, though lower than Don Pedro.

HERO

Is it not Hero? Who can blot that name With any just reproach?Act 4, Scene 1

Hero is the young daughter of Leonato and the cousin of Beatrice. Her beauty and grace is often referred to and admired. In comparison to Beatrice’s fiery temperament, Hero is gentle, quiet and reserved. She has lived a sheltered life and does not have much agency of her own. In fact, despite being a major character in the play, Hero has very few lines. She is an excited participant in the trick to lure Beatrice and Benedick together. She falls in love with Claudio quickly, and the two agree to marry within the week. However, Hero is a poor victim in Don John’s wicked plan to slander her, and question her loyalty and chastity. Hero is shocked by the accusations and asserts her innocence, collapsing in the midst of events. She agrees to the plan to her faked death, and appears to forgive Claudio, agreeing to marry him once more.

MARGARET

Give us the swords; we have bucklers of our own. Act 5, Scene 2

Margaret is Hero’s servingwoman and the lover of Borachio. She unwittingly becomes part of the plot to deceive Claudio into thinking Hero is unfaithful. Margaret, like Beatrice, has a quick wit.

URSULA

She’s limed, I warrant you: we have caught her, madam. Act 3, Scene 1

Ursula also attends Hero, however is of a higher social stature than Margaret. She is involved in the trick to lure Beatrice and Benedick together, along with Hero.

In this production, the character of Ursula does not appear. Her lines have been given to the character of Margaret.



DON JOHN

… If I had my mouth, I would bite; if I had my liberty, I would do my liking: in the meantime let me be that I am and seek not to alter me.Act 1, Scene 3

Don John is the illegitimate brother of Don Pedro – often called the ‘bastard brother’ – and one of the villains of the play. Don John is a melancholy character and appears to despise happiness in others. He is quick to construct the plot to destroy Hero and Claudio’s happiness. His actions in the play are motivated by his jealousy and resentment of his brother, Don Pedro, who defeated him in battle and keeps him on a tight leash. While some characters sit somewhat apart from the action, Don John appears to be the most removed. In a story that wildly circles around love and match-making, Don John is sullen and bitter and determined to ruin the chances of happiness for others. He admits that he is a “plain-dealing villain” and does not apologise for this. After Don John’s plot is discovered, he is captured and awaits punishment.

DOGBERRY

Dost thou not suspect my place? dost thou not suspect my years? O that he were here to write me down an ass! Act 4, Scene 2

Dogberry is the head constable of Messina in charge of the Watch. He takes his job and position very seriously, however Dogberry is often seen as the clown of the play. Dogberry frequently speaks in malapropisms, where one word is mistakenly used instead of another, to amusing effect. This stems from his desire to speak formally like the noblemen of Leonato’s house, even though he is of a lower social stature. Despite his incompetence, Dogberry does eventually uncover the plot through his capture of Borachio and Conrade, and tells Leonato.

BORACHIO

The poison of that lies in you to temper.Act 2, Scene 2

Borachio is a follower of Don John and another villain of the play. He concocts the scheme to deceive Claudio into thinking Hero is unfaithful, and uses his lover, Margaret, as part of the plan.



CONRADE

… it is needful that you frame the season for your own harvestAct 1, Scene 3

Conrade is a close follower of Don John and is a keen conspirator in his evil plans.

FRIAR FRANCIS

Did I not tell you she was innocent?Act 5, Scene 4

Friar Francis is a holy man and religious adviser to Leonato. He is able to conduct weddings and does so for Hero and Claudio, and Beatrice and Benedick, at the end of the play.

In this production, the character of Friar Francis does not appear. His role has been merged with the character of Antonio.

VERGES

… I thank God I am as honest as any man living that is an old man and no honester than I.Act 3, Scene 5

Verges is a member of the Watch and deputy to Dogberry. He is very much a comic sidekick to Dogberry’s well-meaning incompetence.




DISCUSSION POINTS



DISCUSSION POINTS ON MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

THE PLAY Much Ado About Nothing is distinct from other Shakespeare romance plays:

• It is set in real-world Messina (not mythical Illyria or a magical wood)

• It has love at first sight for Claudio and Hero, but also the suggestion of a complicated past between Beatrice and Benedick.

• It has no magical/supernatural element (Iike A Midsummer Night’s Dream or The Tempest)

• It feels a lot more modern or contemporary in its story and characters than his other plays, particularly in the characters of Benedick and Beatrice who have served as inspiration for countless characters in film, tv and books.

DIFFERENT KINDS OF LOVEAs he did in The Taming of the Shrew, Shakespeare contrasts ‘courtly’ love, characterised by fine sentiments, sincerity and the formal process of wooing, courtship and marriage, with combative love, characterised by battles of wits, irony and cynicism about marriage. Of course, Hero and Claudio fit in to the first category and Beatrice and Benedick into the second.

GENDER POLITICS It has been said that Much Ado About Nothing plays with gender stereotypes but ultimately reinforces a patriarchal, hierarchical world view. Beatrice and Benedick, who rail against marriage, ultimately get married. The marriage of Hero and Claudio proceeds, once Hero’s honour has been re-established.

Beatrice seems to step outside the traditional ‘feminine’ role, which Hero adopts unquestioningly. However, even Beatrice’s berating of Benedick tacitly accepts gender relationships as they existed in her society: Beatrice says “O that I were a man!” (Act 4, Scene 1), before urging Benedick to challenge Claudio.

Overall, in Benedick and Beatrice, Shakespeare has given us a very modern couple – a feisty and evenly matched relationship, which will probably continue in this vein after the play’s conclusion. It’s as if Shakespeare gives us a conventional relationship and then another one which strains the bounds of conventionality without breaking them.

SOCIAL HIERARCHY There is an argument that the play doesn’t challenge social hierarchies. It presents behaviour as determined by birth. For example:

• Don John was born a ‘bastard’ and acts like one.

• Conrade was born under Saturn, leading to his villainy.

• Margaret is ‘below stairs’, and has no chance of ‘marrying up’.

• Beatrice was born ‘under a dancing star,’ giving her a merry temperament.



COMEDY The main kinds of comedy we get in Much Ado About Nothing are:

• Verbal battles between Beatrice and Benedick.

• Clowning from Dogberry, Verges and the Watch. An unwitting comedy built on laughing at the clown (full of malapropisms).

• Situational Comedy – The scenes in the garden with Beatrice and Benedick are classic dramatic irony. The two characters are set up to fall in love with each other: the audience knows this but Benedick and Beatrice don’t. The fact that they accept it and resolve to change their lives instantaneously, makes the comedy work.

MASKS & DISGUISE The theme of disguise is one which runs through the play.

The Masquerade ball provides a wonderful opportunity for the ‘unguarded comments’ that Beatrice makes about Benedick, perhaps not knowing who she dances with. This is certainly what he believes at any rate and is clearly disturbed and hurt by her assessment of him. Don Pedro also uses his mask to talk to Hero without her realising his true identity.

Margaret and Borachio’s storyline is a very literal example of disguise. Margaret is convinced to impersonate her mistress, Hero, in a compromising situation. This trick is the pivotal point in the play: leading to Hero being slandered, the wedding being ruined, and Benedick’s challenge of Claudio.

Beatrice and Benedick wear figurative masks through the play in the form of their witty exteriors. Benedick’s rhetoric could be masking a fear of marriage, or even a fear of dying alone – he jokes constantly about not being trapped in marriage and how married men will be cuckolded (cheated on by their wives). Beatrice also perhaps fears both marriage and single life – either being made subservient to a husband or, on the other hand, missing out on a relationship. The giveaway is that although both swear off marriage, they are only too eager once the opportunity arises.

Finally, there is the device of a revelation of a masked, virginal Hero at the end of the play. This device is used even more effectively in The Winter’s Tale, where Hermione’s statue comes to life: a reincarnation of a woman also falsely accused and now vindicated. However, unlike Hermione’s husband Leontes, Claudio never admits his culpability in her fall from grace (he sees himself as wronged as well) which takes away the power of the moment in this play.



DESIGN BY PIP RUNCIMAN



Director James Evans and Designer Pip Runciman worked together on concepting before Runciman’s design work began. The initial brief was that of a contemporary, visually appealing space that would read as a kind of playground for the rich and famous. Importantly, Evans asked Runciman to make sure the set design included plenty of nooks and crannies and other opportunities for hiding and overhearing, key for many plot points in the play.

In creating Leonato’s home, Runciman was inspired by hotel lobbies and modern bars that had big, bold design and presence. She looked at loud wallpaper, bold prints, curved lines and luxury gold fittings. Because the production tours to almost 30 venues nationally, she aimed for a freestanding set that could be constructed in each venue, without being reliant on the venue or having to adapt to fit each new space. The end design includes a large drape allowing for lighting opportunities and giving what Runciman called a ‘feminine’ quality.

While Don Pedro, Claudio and Benedick have returned from war at the top of the play, the decision was made to focus on the R&R that they crave as soon as they arrive at Leonato’s house. There are no additional soldier costumes, we only see the men arrive ready to party.

HIDDENGARDENS

TEXTURE

SET DESIGN BY PIP RUNCIMAN



SET DESIGN BY PIP RUNCIMAN



Costume design echoes the very contemporary set in style and colour palette. In designing the costumes of the soldiers, Runciman was inspired by ‘packs’ of young men at social events such as the races all in suits. Evans and Runciman were interested in these groups of young men, dressed up with outward show and bravado, yet their behaviour can become brutish and sometimes dangerous when together.

Claudio and Don Pedro wear crisp stylish suits in blue and pink tones. While Benedick is a member of Don Pedro’s group of men, he sits somewhat removed to them in his character and actions. For this reason, Runciman decided to make Benedick’s costume slightly different to Don Pedro and Claudio’s. He is more toned down, a little disheveled, trying to fit in but not entirely succeeding.

Leonato wears a cream lounge suit, stylish and dominating as the patriarchal head of the house. Don John is also in a suit yet has darker colours of black and grey, giving a ‘mafioso’ feel to his character.

In costuming the lead female characters, Runciman deliberately chose pants for Hero and Beatrice rather than traditional dresses or skirts. In doing so, costumes do not fit the expected feminine stereotype. As with Benedick, Runciman was keen to show that Beatrice did not quite fit within this society, so her costuming is bolder than Hero’s softer, more youthful design.

The comic characters of Dogberry and Verges have been costumed much more radically, and outlandishly. Dogberry has been designed as a motorcyle cop, appearing clownish though not aware of it.

As Antonio in this production takes over the lines and role of the Friar, Runciman has given the costume a biblical feel with a white long dress over pants.

COSTUMES BY PIP RUNCIMAN









What was your inspiration for the set and costume design of Much Ado About Nothing? The Director James and I were inspired by making a space that was a playground for the rich and famous. We wanted it to be visually appealing and familiar to the audience, yet also slightly reminiscent of posh bar, a hotel lobby or a fancy house. It’s a fun, playful space that the audience can imagine being part of on stage, drinking a glass of champagne or sipping a martini.

Much Ado About Nothing is touring to 27 venues around Australia. How do you approach designing a set for so many different venues? Something we learned from the last touring show that I did with Bell Shakespeare was that you need a set that’s self-contained; it exists without having to rely on the rest of the space. It stands up by itself, you just need to shift the masking according to the size of the space. The set needs to be together quite quickly; often the tour is in only in town for one night! It’s a series of steel frames that are bolted together, you start at one end and work your way towards to other, and the step units are contained within it.

What was the most challenging part of the design to achieve? I spent a lot of time playing around with the curve of the set. I look at the images of my model and thought it hasn’t changed much, I was fiddling with that curve and this curve until it was something that felt right. James was keen to make sure there was a downstairs and upstairs part of the set for the cast to work with, we didn’t want curve of the set to feel like it is all on the same plane. It’s also four metres tall and that was a challenge to make sure it could fit into the truck.

How do you work with the Director and the rest of the creative team to realise the design? You have meetings and you go off and find reference images and come back and chat through bits in the script. You narrow your scope down and pinpoint things that stand out to you, either in the script or in references, or things that the Director wants to highlight and emphasis. You go back and rework it and distil it down, and rework it and distil it down again; it’s a process of elimination. Something that was really handy was knowing we wanted a set with curves, and I knew because it was touring that it had to be transportable, it’s a series of flat panels that are slotted together to look curved.

What is the most exciting moment for you as set and costume designer? The most exciting moment is when they tech begins and the lights are on the set, that’s usually when you start to go ‘oh, wow it’s a world.’ When it’s under construction I have a little freak out - I’ve spoken to a lot of designer friends about it and they all say a similar thing – and as soon as you see lights on it and the cast on stage you realise it’s just like you imagined it, you’ve built a world on stage.

INTERVIEW WITH DESIGNER PIP RUNCIMAN



LIGHTING DESIGN BY NIKLAS PAJANTI



Walk us through the process of lighting design, from first concept to being in the theatre. It’s a mixture of processes ranging from highly technical to highly artistic. It’s in an intermediate zone of outright being an artist and being a skilled craftsperson. In many ways, my job is to be a mind reader, I have to get inside the head of the Director and try and interpret how they imagine the show and then I work with skilled individuals who can help build those ideas in a realistic way, which for me, involves lights.

What type of lights are you using for this production? There’s standard inhouse rigs that the venues we are going to supply and pre-rig and that will be mostly traditional equipment; mostly tungsten, profiles, sharp edges, front lights. All the touring lights we’re using are more modern technology; LED, moving heads, LED strip lighting that gets mounted in the set, LED colour changing lights to light the set from behind to make it glow. We’re using that because that technology saves times in terms of setting up and control – I can use one light for multiple purposes; rather than one light being one colour, I can use one light for ten different colours and ten different positions and that makes it easier on tour.

How early in the production process do you start designing the lighting for a show? Conversations start when I’m first employed by a company; the Director and Set Designer will talk to me about their ideas for the show and I start thinking about the lighting then. After the set presentation has been signed off, I really start getting to work and decide with the Director, Designer and the Sound Designer how the show is going to look and feel, how it’s going to sound, what sort of world are we creating. Then as we get into rehearsals and closer and closer to production week and opening night, I’m refining all my random, magical ideas and choices down to reality. So, it goes from dreamland to reality to its open!

What do you need to consider for a show that performs in 27 venues? I have to come up with a design that is repeatable in every venue it goes to around Australia and can be set up and ready to go in six and a half hours. That’s four hours of load in, one and half hours of tech time, then a break and then the show goes on that night. That’s my parameters; the technical, pragmatic aspect of my job comes first and once I work out how to solve that the art happens.

INTERVIEW WITH LIGHTING DESIGNER NIKLAS PAJANTI



How do you use lighting to build drama or tension in a scene? In simple terms it’s through the angle that the light is coming at the performer, the intensity of that light, the colour of that light, the beam quality of that light. All those things tell the audience certain things. A flat, front light, hard-edge spot is usually indicative of comedy or presentation or even cabaret; a footlight coming up into their face at a low, severe angle is usually dramatic and scary. Audiences are wired to interpret different lighting states in different ways; different colours have different mode associations. I manipulate all of those to tell the audience what to think, when. It’s visual dramaturgy at its best. When I get it right, I’m saying ‘hey, look over there, don’t look over there, now think this.’ I’m colouring in the story for them.

You’ve designed extensively for art, exhibitions, events, film and theatre. What is unique about designing lighting for theatre productions? I think, because of the temporality of it, it happens and then it’s gone; it’s almost ephemeral. It only ever exists in people’s memory. With theatre, I love that every single night we are gathering around the campfire telling a story. You get to escape for a while and experience the story. And then it’s gone. You compare that to more technical work I do, like preservation lighting, lighting an old piece of art that needs to have x-amount of lux on it otherwise it will destroy the artwork. That’s a satisfying technical exercise. There’s the permanence of film or the permanence of lighting public art, but that’s less food for the soul. Theatre is food for the soul, it’s storytelling. It’s a shared experience that I love.



PRE-SHOW ACTIVITIES



DRAMA, ANALYSIS, CRITICAL THINKING This is a useful exercise to explore the story of Much Ado About Nothing thematically, on your feet, rather than behind a desk.

1. Get into small groups (minimum 3-4 people) and find a space in the room.

2. Without talking, make a frozen image of the following themes and concepts in your group. You can be quite literal with your image, or more abstract. Work quickly and don’t overthink it. What do you think of when you hear these words?

• Friendship

• Love

• Jealousy

• Gossip

• Accusation

• Marriage

• Trust

• Honour

• Pride

• Justice

• Truth

3. After you make each frozen image, make sure you look at the other versions of that image by the other groups in your class. Are they similar to yours or quite different? What is most effective about their frozen image? What surprised you about their frozen image? Did their image make you think about the theme or concept in a different way?

4. Then, do the same exercise for the next list of concepts:

• Soldiers home from war

• Love at first sight

• Bitter rivals

• Brothers who don’t see eye to eye

• A proud father

• A happy wedding

• A wedding gone sour

• A friendship broken

ACTIVITY ONE: FROZEN IMAGES



• A lover deceived

• A secret told

• A trick played

• Uncovering the truth

• A reunion

5. After this exercise, lead into a discussion about Much Ado About Nothing and what happens in the play, if students are new to the story. If students are already familiar with the story, focus the discussion on what comparisons they can make between the images they created and the themes, characters and plot of the play.



CRITICAL THINKING, COMPREHENSION The characters of Benedick and Beatrice appear to be Shakespeare’s own creation. The archetype of two characters who start the story despising one another before eventually falling in love, or becoming firm friends, is now a common trope in literature, television and film.

1. Think about stories that you know (film, tv or books) where two characters start the story despising one another, but by the end of the story become friends or fall in love. List as many as you can think of!

2. Choose one set of characters from your list and answer the following questions.

3. What was the nature of their disagreement to begin with?

4. How did their relationship end in the story?

5. What was the turning point or key plot point where they saw each other in a different light, or began to change their opinion of the other person?

ACTIVITY TWO: FROM HATE TO LOVE



ACTIVITY THREE:JOURNEYS OF LOVE

CRITICAL THINKING, COMPREHENSION, VISUAL ART There are two key love stories in Much Ado About Nothing, that of Benedick and Beatrice, and Claudio and Hero. Each story plays out quite differently across the journey of the play.

1. Write five key plot points in the relationship of Benedick and Beatrice chronologically.

2. Write five key plot points in the relationship of Claudio and Hero chronologically.

3. Use visual icons (or even emojis!) to signify the highs and lows and key points of their story.

4. Make note of how the journeys of love are similar or different. Particularly note how their relationships line up chronologically – ie. do their high and low points align or differ?

5. Make a visual representation of the two journeys of love on a poster.

6. Include key quotes from the characters to help illustrate their journeys.



ACTIVITY FOUR:COURTLY LOVE

DISCUSSION, READING, WRITING Courtly Love was practiced during the Middle Ages and originated in France, around the time of the First Crusade, in 1099. From there, Eleanor of Aquitaine (famous for first being Queen of France, and then, via a second marriage, Queen of England) was responsible for bringing the idea to England, where it was practised in English courts from the 1300s to the 1500s.

Marriage was considered successful if the match brought material advantage to oneself and one’s family. Since at the time marriage had little to do with love, courtly love was also a way for nobles to express the love not found in their marriage. One’s need for romance could be found outside marriage – as long as the rules relating to chastity and fidelity were strictly adhered to.

Courtly Love followed strict rules, combined with the Code of Chivalry, and allowed knights and ladies to show their admiration for another regardless of their marital state. It was not uncommon for a married lady to give a token to a knight of her choice to be worn during a medieval tournament. Whilst rules existed, often the parties, who started their relationship with such elements of courtly love, would become deeply involved. In the Legend of King Arthur, his own Queen (Guinevere) fell in love with Sir Lancelot. PART 1 The Rules of Courtly Love

The following rules and elements of Courtly Love during the Middle Ages were written by the 12th Century Frenchman, Andreas Capellanus, in De Arte Honeste Amandi (The Art of Courtly Love), which included the following 31 Rules of Courtly Love. The rules demonstrate how playing this ‘game’ could lead to all kinds of problems within the court circle.

1. Marriage is no real excuse for not loving

2. He who is not jealous cannot love

3. No one can be bound by a double love

4. It is well known that love is always increasing or decreasing

5. That which a lover takes against the will of his beloved has no relish

6. Boys do not love until they arrive at the age of maturity

7. When one lover dies, a widowhood of two years is required of the survivor

8. No one should be deprived of love without the very best of reasons

9. No one can love unless he is impelled by the persuasion of love

10. Love is always a stranger in the home of avarice

11. It is not proper to love any woman whom one would be ashamed to seek to marry

12. A true lover does not desire to embrace in love anyone except his beloved



13. When made public love rarely endures

14. The easy attainment of love makes it of little value; difficulty of attainment makes it prized

15. Every lover regularly turns pale in the presence of his beloved

16. When a lover suddenly catches sight of his beloved, his heart palpitates

17. A new love puts to flight an old one

18. Good character alone makes any man worthy of love

19. If love diminishes, it quickly fails and rarely revives

20. A man in love is always apprehensive

21. Real jealousy always increases the feeling of love

22. Jealousy, and therefore love, are increased when one suspects his beloved

23. He whom the thought of love vexes eats and sleeps very little

24. Every act of a lover ends in the thought of his beloved

25. A true lover considers nothing good except what he thinks will please his beloved

26. Love can deny nothing to love

27. A lover can never have enough of the solaces of his beloved

28. A slight presumption causes a lover to suspect his beloved

29. A man who is vexed by too much passion usually does not love

30. A true lover is constantly and without intermission possessed by the thought of his beloved

31. Nothing forbids one woman being loved by two men or one man by two women

PART 2 After reading the Rules of Courtly Love, answer the following questions:

1. Which rules do you agree or disagree with?

2. As a class read Act 1, scene 1 line 119 (“Benedick, didst thou note the daughter of Signor Leonato”?) to the end of the scene.

3. In pairs find evidence that Claudio is following the rules of courtly love.

4. Identify what rules of courtly love might still exist today, and, which are considered not appropriate today and why.

5. Write “The twelve modern rules of love.”

6. Share your new rules with your class, noting similarities or differences to one another’s lists. How do your lists differ from the original Courtly Love rules?



ACTIVITY FIVE:CHARACTER MATRIX

READING, WRITING Create a character matrix for all the relationships in the play. For each character, write the nature of the relationship between the two characters, identifying the effect they have on one another. The matrix below has only seven of the main characters, however you can include other characters for more complexity and challenge.

See over for a template matrix.

EXTENSION ACTIVITY Create a matrix for each Act of the play, noting the changing relationships of the characters as the story progresses.



HERO CLAUDIO BEATRICE BENEDICK LEONATO DON PEDRO DON JOHN

HERO Leonato is Hero’s father. He is protective of her.

CLAUDIO Claudio falls in love with Hero. With Don Pedro’s help, he woos her to be married.

BEATRICE

BENEDICK

LEONATO

DON PEDRO

DON JOHN

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHINGCHARACTER MATRIX



POST-SHOW ACTIVITIES



DISCUSSION, CRITICAL THINKING As a class, discuss initial responses to the production and how the play was presented in comparison to preconceived visions of the play. Complete the following questions individually, or use them as the basis for a class discussion.

Performances Did the actors play the roles as you imagined them? Were any characters portrayed differently to how you imagined them? In what ways? Which character/s did you connect with most? Was this different to how you felt about the character/s before the play?

Set How was the world of Much Ado About Nothing presented on stage? Why do you think this decision was made? What were the key set pieces or props, and how were they used? How did the set and props convey the changes of location?

Costume How was costume used to denote character information, for example social status? Which characters had costume changes? How did their costume change and what did the change in costume signify about their character?

Sound design How was sound and music used to create meaning and enhance the story? Choose one particular moment and describe how sound/music was used to influence the meaning.

Script and dramaturgy Were there any changes to the characters in the original play? Were any characters edited or changed? Any characters not included from the original? What did you notice about the script edits? What effect did these have and why do you think the script was edited?

Director’s vision What do you think the Director’s creative vision was for the entire production? What might their influences have been? How might you have approached the play as Director?

ACTIVITY ONE: AFTER THE SHOW



LANGUAGE ANALYSIS, CREATIVE WRITING This production of Much Ado About Nothing features one of Shakespeare’s sonnets put to music and sung by the cast.

Sonnet 116

Let me not to the marriage of true minds Admit impediments. Love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove. O no! it is an ever-fixed mark That looks on tempests and is never shaken; It is the star to every wand’ring bark, Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken. Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks Within his bending sickle’s compass come; Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, But bears it out even to the edge of doom. If this be error and upon me prov’d, I never writ, nor no man ever lov’d.

Read the sonnet then answer the following questions.

1. What do you think the message of this sonnet is? What is Shakespeare saying about the nature of love?

2. How does the message of the sonnet relate to the characters and story of Much Ado About Nothing? Why do you think the director chose this sonnet?

3. What techniques are used to describe love? What is the effect of describing love in this way?

4. Imagine that after the play has ended, Beatrice and Benedick write a sonnet about what they have learnt about love. Choose either Beatrice or Benedick and write the sonnet from their perspective. Try to keep to these basic rules of sonnet writing:

• Every sonnet has 14 lines

• The first quatrain (lines 1-4) presents an idea or argument

• The second and third quatrain (lines 5-12) further explores that idea or argument

• The final couplet (lines 13-14) resolves the argument

• For an added challenge, give your sonnet the rhyming scheme Shakespeare used (abab, cdcd, efef, gg)

5. Share your sonnets with your class through performance or compile them into a book about lessons on love!

ACTIVITY TWO: SONNETS OF LOVE



CRITICAL THINKING, CREATIVE WRITING The opening scene of this production was not the opening scene as Shakespeare originally wrote it. After viewing the performance, answer the following questions.

1. How did the play start? What was the opening scene?

2. What effect did this give to the start of the story?

3. What effect did opening with this scene have on the ending of the play?

4. Why do you think the Director chose to start the play in this way?

5. The scene in question focused on Hero, one of the key characters, yet who has very few lines compared to the others. In many ways, we do not actually hear from her about her own feelings on the events of the story. What effect does this have on how we connect with Hero, and view her character?

6. Choose a key moment in Hero’s journey in the play, where she does not get to speak or says very few words. Write Hero a soliloquy in which she shares with the audience her true feelings, and her version of events. In writing Hero’s soliloquy, think about what her voice might sound like when no one else is around. Would she be more open, would she speak in a less guarded, less polite way? Or do you think this is true Hero’s voice?

7. Perform your soliloquies for your class.

8. After you have heard your classmate’s soliloquies, discuss the following questions:

• Did you feel that we saw another side to Hero that wasn’t explored in the play?

• Did anything surprise you about what Hero said, or how she spoke?

• Was this Hero more powerful or more confident than the Hero we saw in Shakespeare’s original?

EXTENSION ACTIVITY Rewrite the final scene where Claudio and Hero are reunited. What would you change about that scene if you had the chance to reimagine it, and why?

ACTIVITY THREE: HERO SPEAKS



CRITICAL THINKING, ANALYSIS, DISCUSSION

1. Make three signs – AGREE, DISAGREE and 50/50.

2. Place each card in a different part of the classroom.

3. Debate the following statements making sure you stand by the sign that aligns with your opinion. Note that if you choose 50/50, you must have two arguments (agree and disagree), not no argument! Use examples from the play to strengthen your argument/s.

NB: Try to make each answer a different physical space in the classroom, ie. AGREE and DISAGREE might be two different corners of the room, and 50/50 might be in the middle of the room.

Statements:

1. Much Ado About Nothing is more tragedy than comedy

2. Benedick and Beatrice would not have fallen in love without the trick played on them

3. Hero was wrong to reconcile with Claudio

4. Don John has no real motive for his actions

5. Men and women have equal power in the play

6. No one is the winner of this story

EXTENSION ACTIVITY Students in AGREE or DISAGREE can try to persuade the students in 50/50 with their arguments. If a student in 50/50 moves, they must explain why they changed their opinion. You can also remove the 50/50 option during the exercise, so that students must make a definite choice.

ACTIVITY FOUR: CLASS DEBATE

Documents

BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE DIRECTOR JAMES EVANS ONLINE RESOURCES · Much Ado About Nothing Online Resources 2 ONLINE RESOURCES MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING © Bell Shakespeare 2019, unless