MY PRODUCTION

 My Production

RESEARCH: Research your own Shakespeare play: Much Ado About Nothing, Love's Labour's Lost or Titus Andronicus. What is the play about? When was it first performed? Find a contemporary production of the play you can get an idea of and research it in terms of concept, style, design, casting. Give some attention to your own character and their role in the play.

Much Ado About Nothing

The Play Much Ado About Nothing is one of William Shakespeare most comedic plays that he has written in his life time, The play was first performed in 1612 and then later adapted in 1993 into a Dramatic film, in addition to this , the play was known to have been written between 1598 and 1599, when William Shakespeare was in about the the middle of his career as a Director, playwright and Actor and an English Poet.

I have noticed since Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy, the comedy in the play would have been comedy that was appropriate to the audience of the time the play was written and performed , on the other hand, the comedy that is written in the play wouldn't really have a massive impact on the modern day audience that come to watch the play. The characters in Much Ado About Nothing were written to be seen to be larger than life, moreover, the modern day audience would find the characters funny because the characters react differently to how people would react in the modern day life and theatre.

Much Ado About Nothing is about a kind,respectable nobleman man named Leonato that lives in the town of Messina. Since Leonato is so kind he decides to share his home with some of his friends returning from war because of his sense of kindness and friendship , he opens his door for them. As the play starts he starts to welcome his friends, Don Pedro, a prince and a very close friend of Leonato and his fellow soldiers , most importantly Claudio and Benedick, well respectable men and soldiers.

In this play William Shakespeare uses the aspect of comedy to build off the title Much Ado About "Nothing" by using the word "Noting" , which he uses throughout the play, which means,means Gossip,Rumors and Overhearing, moreover, I believe this was the very effective title for the play because it give us a little summary of what the play is about. In Addition to this it makes the audience intrigued because they wonder as I wondered how can the themes of Gossip, Rumors and Overhearing become a comedy. An example of overhearing in the play is when Benedick over hears Claudio, Don Pedro and Leonato talking about how "Beatrice loved him".

Example of the use of NOTING 

Claudio: Benedick, didst thou note the daughter of Signor Leonato?

Benedick: I noted her not, but I looked on her.

The Cast of the Kenneth Branagh 1993 Adaptation of the play

Leonato - Richard Briers
Hero - Kate Beckinsale
Margaret - Imelda Staunton
Friar Francis - Jimmy Yuill
Antonio - Brian Blessed
George Seacole - Andy Hockley
Francis Seacole -Chris Barnes
Hugh Oatcake - Conrad Nelson
Ursula - Phyllida Law
Beatrice - Emma Thompson 
Messenger - Alex Lowe 
Don Pedro - Denzel Washington 
Don John - Keanu Reeves 
Conrade - Richard Clifford 
Borachio - Gerard Horan
Claudio - Robert Sean Leonard 
Benedick - Kenneth Branagh 
Balthazar - Patrick Doyle 
The Boy - Alex Scott 
Dogberry - Michael Keaton 
Verges - Ben Elton 
Sexton - Edward Jewesbury 

1st Watchman 

In the globe theatres production of Much ado about nothing they made sure all of the watch men were taller than Dogberry and this added to the comedy of the play because Dogberry is meant to be the big strong leader,however, in the production of the globe he was small.  The first Watchman is suggested to be Hugh Oatcake as leader of the patrol because of his ability to read and write and in contribution to the testimony to sexton about Conrade and Borachio. The Watchmen are part of a neighborhood watch that Dogberry commands and charges to patrolling the streets of Messina at night, in addition to this, the watchmen are not really bright at all but they still were able to conrade and Borachio and lead them to the sexton.


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