Much Ado About Not(h)ing

by William Shakespeare

Adapted and directed by Kelly Wilson

 

Earl Arts Centre, Launceston – 13-16 August, 2025

Studio Theatre, Hobart – 21-23 August, 2025

Town Hall Theatre, Devonport – 27 August, 2025

 

Original music by Alex Loveless, award-winning composer, lyricist and lecturer at the London College of Music, and Scott Howland, MA Text and Performance graduate from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and co-founder of N2P. A shorter version of this production was awarded a high distinction for Kelly Wilson’s Master’s dissertation production in July 2017 at RADA. The adaptation retains the original Shakespearean text, while modifying some dramatic situations, language and characters to reflect a contemporary, 21st century digital society. For information about and images of the 2019 London performance of this production, go to https://www.adaptivitytheatrecompany.com/much-ado-about-not-h-ing-london.

 

Cast:

There are roles available for 5 men and 5 women, as follows:

Pedro Charles Don (30s-40s), platoon lieutenant in Australian army, Leonato’s godson.

Benedick Howland (30s), sergeant in Pedro’s platoon, Claudio’s best friend.

Claudio Parr (20s), corporal in Pedro’s platoon, Benedick’s best friend.

Borachio Moss (25), manager of catering business and computer gamer, infatuated with Joan.

Sean Levinson (21), corporal in Pedro’s platoon, Ursula’s son.

Joan Nicola Don (25-35), computer hacker, working in military intelligence, Pedro’s half-sister.

Ursula Levinson (40+), Leonato’s sister, Beatrice’s and Hero’s aunt, Sean’s mother.

Hero Elliott-Campbell (20), Leonato's daughter, in love with Claudio.

Beatrice Taylor (27), Leonato’s and Ursula’s niece, Hero’s cousin, formerly dated Benedick.

Margaret Jeffery (20), maid working in Leonato’s household.

*Leonato Elliott, former Premier of Tasmania and Hero's father, will be played by David Lee.

 

Singing Roles:

Benedick Howland (30s), baritone/tenor

Claudio Parr (20s), tenor

Ursula Levinson (40+), alto

Hero Elliott-Campbell (20), mezzo-soprano

Beatrice Taylor (27), mezzo-soprano

 

Audition Information:

ATC welcomes actors of all backgrounds, orientations, races, and ethnicities, aged 18+ to audition for a role in Much Ado About Not(h)ing. Auditions will consist of a self-tape containing the following:

• a reading of one monologue from the production, included at the end of this document, AND 

• if you want to be considered for a singing role, a recording of yourself singing one of the songs from this production, which will be provided when you email adaptivitytheatrecompany@gmail.com. Please indicate the character for which you are interested in auditioning, so the appropriate music can be sent to you.

Familiarise yourself with the script so that you can look away from the page from time to time, but it’s not necessary to memorise the entire passage. I want to hear how you speak the language and see how you would portray the character. Self-tapes should be emailed by Friday, 31 January, 2025, to adaptivitytheatrecompany@gmail.com.

 

This is a community theatre production in which the actors are considered volunteers; however, actors will be covered by personal accident insurance (free of charge). Unless actors have friends or family to stay with in Hobart, the cost of accommodation for the Hobart rehearsals and performances will also be covered. Accommodation will not be provided for the Devonport rehearsal and performance. Each actor will receive $100 to help with transportation costs to Hobart and Devonport.

 

Call-backs:

Call-backs will be held on Wednesday, 19 February, 7pm, location TBA. Please keep this day and time available, in anticipation of being asked to read again. Call-backs will involve dancing/movement as well as cold readings of scenes with other potential cast members.

 

Rehearsals:

A read-thru of the script will occur in early April 2025, at which time actors will receive their scripts so they can begin to memorise their lines. Rehearsals will be held in Launceston, beginning in early May, held 2-3 times a week, between 6:30-9:30pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and on some Saturdays, either morning or afternoon when it gets closer to production week.

 

Play Synopsis:

It’s 2021, in fair Tasmania, where we lay our scene. Pedro Don and his platoon have returned from their deployment in Afghanistan, ahead of Australia’s final withdrawal. Ancient grudge has broken to new mutiny between Pedro and his half-sister Joan upon the recent death of their father, from whom Joan has been estranged since she left home. In response to his father’s last request, Pedro attempts to build a relationship with Joan. Meanwhile, Pedro’s godfather, former Premier of Tasmania, Leonato Elliott, tries to support his godson through this time of grief and reconciliation by inviting him and Joan, along with Pedro’s band of brothers from his platoon, Claudio and Benedick, to a welcome home celebration. Preparing for the party are his daughter Hero, niece Beatrice and sister Ursula, who is waiting to hear from her son Sean, injured in Afghanistan.

 

Directorial Interpretation:

Written in 1598, Much Ado About Nothing is one of William Shakespeare’s best comedies, combining robust hilarity with solemn meditations on shame, honour, the nature of love and forgiveness, and the human power to change and to choose. When viewed through a contemporary lens, this play seems to be inspired by one alternative title: Much Ado About Noting. During the English Renaissance, ‘noting’ (meaning rumour or overhearing) sounded very similar to ‘nothing’, used in the title of the play. It’s through noting that Benedick and Beatrice are tricked into professing their love for each other and by founding his belief on nothing, Claudio is tricked into refusing to marry Hero. This word play has inspired the unusual title for this production, Much Ado About Not(h)ing, the use of the parenthesis indicating that the ‘h’ in the word ‘nothing’ can be retained or deleted: noting or nothing.

 

Much Ado About Not(h)ing explores what we, as a 21st century society, take most note of. Do we take note of the people and events that occur around us in the ‘mortal world’, or do we become so entrenched in our ‘digital world’ that we spend most of our day looking at a computer screen or our mobile phone? Through this innovative concept, mobile devices are an integral element of the performance. The audience is actively immersed in the dilemma of the production as soon as they’re invited to turn ON their mobile phones at the beginning of the performance. They can choose between viewing the live performances presented by the actors onstage or within the digital world, which can be accessed through Facebook on their mobile phones. Digital projections of images and live Facebook newsfeeds, as well as movement and dance, are integrated to present visually elements of Shakespeare’s text. Music also heightens moments of emotional joy or turmoil through the conversion of selected Shakespearean text into lyrics for original music. This play with music contains a total of seven songs, two of which were intended by Shakespeare to be songs in his original text.

​

 

Female Monologue: Beatrice

 

(BEATRICE has an idea about how to deal with HERO’s false accusation of disloyalty to CLAUDIO and stands to explain it to LEONATO, HERO, URSULA and BENEDICK.)

 

BEATRICE

(To LEONATO) Pause awhile,
And let my counsel sway you in this case.
Your daughter here the men have left for dead.
Let her awhile be secretly kept in,
And publish it that she is dead indeed.
Maintain a mourning ostentation,
And on our family's old monument
Hang mournful epitaphs and do all rites
That appertain unto a burial.

This, well carried, shall on her behalf
Change slander to remorse; that is some good.
She dying, as it must so be maintained,
Upon the instant that she was accused,
Shall be lamented, pitied and excused
Of every hearer. For it so falls out
That what we have, we prize not to the worth
Whiles we enjoy it, but being lacked and lost,
Why then we rack the value, then we find
The virtue that possession would not show us
Whiles it was ours. So will it fare with Claudio.
When he shall hear she died upon his words,
The idea of her life shall sweetly creep
Into his study of imagination,
And every lovely organ of her life
Shall come apparelled in more precious habit,
More moving, delicate and full of life,
Into the eye and prospect of his soul
Than when she lived indeed. Then shall he mourn,
And wish he had not so accusèd her;
No, though he thought his accusation true.
Let this be so, and doubt not but success will follow.

​

​

Female Monologue: Hero

(also for actors wishing to audition for Ursula or Margaret)

​

(HERO enters with MARGARET and URSULA, preparing to trick BEATRICE into confessing her love for BENEDICK.)

 

HERO

Good Margaret, run thee to the parlour.
There shalt thou find my cousin Beatrice.
Whisper her ear, and tell her I and Ursula
Walk in the orchard, and our whole discourse
Is all of her. Say that thou overheard'st us,
And bid her steal into the pleachèd bower
Where honeysuckles, ripened by the sun,
Forbid the sun to enter, like favourites
Made proud by princes, that advance their pride
Against that power that bred it.  There will she hide her
To listen our purpose. This is thy office.
Bear thee well in it and leave us alone.

(Exit MARGARET)

Now, Ursula, when Beatrice doth come,
As we do trace this alley up and down
Our talk must only be of Benedick.
When I do name him, let it be thy part
To praise him more than ever man did merit.
My talk to thee must be how Benedick
Is sick in love with Beatrice. Of this matter
Is little Cupid's crafty arrow made,
That only wounds by hearsay.

(Enter BEATRICE, behind)

                                                Now begin,
For look where Beatrice, like a plover, runs
Close by the ground, to hear our conference.

 

​

Female Monologue: Joan

 

(In a solitary moment alone, JOAN realises she has come to a turning point in her reconciliation with her half-brother, PEDRO.)

 

JOAN (direct address to the audience)

I cannot hide what I am.

I must be sad when I have cause 

And smile at no man's jests, 

Eat when I have stomach 

And wait for no man's leisure, 

Sleep when I am drowsy 

And tend on no man's business, 

Laugh when I am merry

And claw no man in his humour.

 

I have of late stood out against my brother, and he hath taken me newly into his grace, where it is impossible I should take true root but by the fair weather that I make myself. It is needful that I frame the season for my own harvest.

 

I had rather be a canker in a hedge 

Than a rose in his grace, 

And it better fits my blood

To be disdained of all 

Than to fashion a carriage

To rob love from any.  

 

I cannot be said to be a flattering honest woman; it must not be denied but I am a plain-dealing villain. Therefore I have decreed not to sing in my cage. If I had my mouth, I would bite. If I had my liberty, I would do my liking. In the meantime, let me be that I am and seek not to alter me.

​

 

Male Monologue: Benedick

(also for actors wishing to audition for Borachio or Sean)

 

(BENEDICK enters in a frustrated, contemplative mood and addresses the audience.)

 

BENEDICK

I do much wonder that one man, seeing how much another man is a fool when he dedicates his behaviours to love, will, after he hath laughed at such shallow follies in others, become the argument of his own scorn by falling in love. And such a man is Claudio. I have known when there was no music with him but the drum and the fife, and now had he rather hear the tabor and the pipe.  I have known when he would have walked ten mile afoot to see a good armour, and now will he lie ten nights awake, carving the fashion of a new doublet. He was wont to speak plain and to the purpose, like an honest man and a soldier, and now is he turned orthography. His words are a very fantastical banquet, just so many strange dishes. May I be so converted and see with these eyes? I cannot tell. I think not. I will not be sworn, but love may transform me to an oyster, but I'll take my oath on it, till he have made an oyster of me, he shall never make me such a fool. One woman is fair, yet I am well. Another is wise, yet I am well. Another virtuous, yet I am well. But till all graces be in one woman, one woman shall not come in my grace. Rich she shall be, that's certain.  Wise, or I'll none. Virtuous, or I'll never cheapen her. Fair, or I'll never look on her. Mild, or come not near me. Noble, or not I for an angel. Of gooddiscourse, an excellent musician, and her hair shall be of what colour it please God. Ha! Pedro and Monsieur Love! I will hide me in the arbour.

​

 

Male Monologue: Claudio

(also for actors wishing to audition for Pedro)

 

(CLAUDIO grasps HERO by the arm and hurls her towards LEONATO.)

 

CLAUDIO

There, Leonato, take her back again.
Give not this rotten orange to your friend.
She's but the sign and semblance of her honour.
Behold how like a maid she blushes here!
O, what authority and show of truth
Can cunning sin cover itself withal!
Comes not that blood as modest evidence
To witness simple virtue? Would you not swear,
All you that see her, that she were a maid,
By these exterior shows? But she is none.
She knows the heat of a luxurious bed.
Her blush is guiltiness, not modesty.

 

(To LEONATO)

 

I know what you would say. If I have known her,
You will say she did embrace me as a husband,
And so extenuate the 'forehand sin.
No, Leonato,
I never tempted her with word too large,
But as a brother to his sister, showed
Bashful sincerity and comely love.

 

(To HERO)

You seemed to me as Dian in her orb,
As chaste as is the bud ere it be blown.
But you are more intemperate in your blood
Than Venus, or those pampered animals
That rage in savage sensuality.