#MAAN fans hop on the bandwagon and add yours

[so-true-jestie]

i'm seeing much ado about nothing this weekend, and you seem to be the expert (or at least biggest fan) on the play!! anything i should know going into it for a first-time viewer?

anon, if this is my reputation, then my work here is done. thanks ever so for the chance to go on about much ado, the only problem now is getting me to shut up.

like many Shakey plays, much ado relies on no small amount of trickery to drive its plot. because of this, if you haven’t already, i’d suggest skimming through a synopsis. the underhand plotting is done in full view of the audience of course, but in some performance venues (like the Globe), acoustics can make it challenging to catch details.

watch the non-verbals. much ado is a very physical comedy. for Benedick and Beatrice, you’ll find that a surprising chunk of their character arcs might come through to the audience in facial expressions, posture, blocking, etc.. since their witticisms rarely say what they mean, body language can hold clues. but all this should also be made obvious from line delivery, even if you can’t see the actors very clearly.

the choice of setting is worth noting. usually, each production of much ado is set in its time period for very deliberate reasons. common ones include how the setting emphasises class and gender divides, or enforces social norms like chastity (for obvious reasons, considering Hero’s fate).

spot the dirty jokes! as most much ado fans will agree, this play is pretty much one cheeky wisecrack after another. sometimes they’re purely for good old-fashioned fun, other times they are also symptomatic of recurring themes like gender roles, patriarchal norms, etc.

of course there’s a lot more than what i could think of. over different productions, you might see how modifying how a line is said, who it’s said to, or changing the genders of characters affects the dynamics of the play. but you can always get into that later if you want — for a first time, have a good laugh, and try not to jump up on stage and box Claudio’s ears at the end. enjoy! x