Theatre - Much Ado about Nothing

“Much Ado is one of Shakespeare’s most timeless plays”, says Matthew Williamson chairman of Brighton Little Theatre. He’s talking to me about their latest production which is being brought for its annual al fresco run to Lewes Gun Garden. “The major themes are love and deception”, he continues. “It’s about people falling in love and things coming in the way of it.” The somewhat turbulent love stories are split into two distinct sub-plots, I am told, the seemingly easy romance between Hero and Claudio that is endangered by the jealous Don John, and the relationship between Beatrice and Benedick which is initially thwarted by their inability to recognise their love for each other. “There’s lots of plotting and scheming - to bring people together or break them apart.”
The play is being staged in modern dress with some of the context updated to the present day. “At the beginning of the play the men are returning from war, so we make that the Iraq war and their costumes are desert camouflage. Then in the wedding scene later in the play we have them in full dress uniform which makes a nice change from the usual modern updates of lounge suits and ties”, Matthew tells me.  A contemporary sound track also brings out the modern relevancies. “We use a lot of music by The Feeling, and Keane and the Scissor Sisters - which have a lot of the same themes in their lyrics. For example there’s a song by The Feeling called My Little Word. The singer is saying ‘I know that you love me but you won’t show it.’” ER