Much Ado About Nothing
Two sets of lovers, one jilted at the altar, a bad brother, and a bumbling cop. Deception is the name of the game here, deception of all sorts—some playful, some cruel and destructive. “There was a star danced, and under that was I born."
See Wikipedia for a detailed synopsis and comments on the themes and motifs in this play.
For those of you who provide parts a scene at a time, this Character Chart shows all the characters' lines in each scene: Much Ado About Nothing
If your group reads the plays straight through in one sitting and you want to divide up the parts, we have a number of “cast” lists already divided up for you. These are text files that you can edit to suit your readers. We always recommend in a straight-through read that each participant take a moment beforehand to mark their parts—then everything proceeds so smoothly.
- Cast for 8, plus a reader for Stage Directions
- Cast for 9, plus a reader for Stage Directions
- Cast for 12, plus a reader for Stage Directions
The Internet Shakespeare Editions from the University of Victoria has some short articles about pertinent topics in this play such as masks, nothing/noting, the tradition of the comic subplot, and more.
This is an audio recording of the play by professional actors with sound effects:
This is a delightful contemporary version made by a bunch of [well-connected] friends [with a lot of money] in a house and a backyard.
This is a joyful production of the play set on a lovely Italian estate.
