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Title details for Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare - Available

Much Ado About Nothing

A BBC Radio Shakespeare production

by William Shakespeare
Samantha Spiro
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available

In this BBC full-cast production of Much Ado About Nothing, some handsome soldiers return from battle. Yet one soldier finds himself locked in a merry war of his own...
In Shakespeare's comedy of wit, love and miscommunication, Beatrice and Benedick and Hero and Claudio are pushed into and pulled out of love, their friends playing cupid with life-changing consequences.
David Tennant and Samantha Spiro star as the famous sparring partners Benedick and Beatrice, with Chiwetel Ejiofor and Emilia Fox as Claudio and Hero. The supporting cast includes Maxine Peake and Julian Rhind-Tutt.
BBC radio has a unique heritage when it comes to Shakespeare. Since 1923, when the newly-formed company broadcast its first full-length play, generations of actors and producers have honed and perfected the craft of making Shakespeare to be heard.
In this acclaimed BBC Radio Shakespeare series, each play is introduced by Richard Eyre, former Director of the Royal National Theatre. Revitalised, original and comprehensive, this is Shakespeare for the modern day.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    December 1, 2004

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781405697798
      • File size: 64271 KB
      • Duration: 02:13:53

  • Languages

    • English

  • Levels

    • Lexile® Measure: 690

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      In Shakespeare's well-loved tale, listeners are taken to Messina, where idle people are pulled into a plot to unite two quick-tongued, marriage-hating adversaries, Benedict and Beatrice. In this portrayal, the witty Benedict is so fast talking that it's easy to miss the ends of his lines unless one listens carefully. A further problem is that various background noises sometimes drown out the speakers, making it hard to harder to follow the details of the complex plot. Happily, excellent vocal differentiation among the actors helps listeners follow who's who in the dialogue. Overall, the banter of the characters and the charming story will appeal to those who love Shakespeare's time-honored comedies. J.F.M. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      Arkangel Complete Shakespeare has taken on the daunting task of recording all of Shakespeare's 38 plays. MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, like the other recordings in the collection, is expertly performed by a full cast of seasoned British film and stage actors. Saskia Reeves's Beatrice is wily and bewitching. Bryan Pringle's blundering Dogberry brings depth and comedic presence to this finely tuned production. The period music in the background is intercut smoothly with realistic sound effects, making listening akin to a live theatrical experience. If the other recorded Shakespeare plays are anything like MUCH ADO, Arkangel is a series to watch. R.A.P. (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      Because setting and action are explicit in the dialogue, MUCH ADO, like most of Shakespeare's plays, adapts wonderfully to audio. Even so, this vintage CBC production could have benefited from a richer soundscape. Director Gerald Newman uses period music to advantage but forgoes other production values. Actors from the Stratford Festival bring out the beauty of the language but project verve and character unevenly. Newman directs too laconically for my taste, subverting tension in the melodramatic passages and almost all of the humor. The romantic scenes are the most successful. Since the publishers digitally remastered the original tapes, they could have left off the Dolby noise reduction, which darkens the tonal color and further undercuts the impression of energy. Y.R. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:690

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