Image inspired by Banksy's "Mobile Lovers". Photography: Tassou Amerikanos
Much Ado About Not(h)ing
by William Shakespeare
Adapted and directed by Kelly Wilson
Music by Alex Loveless and Scott Howland
Earl Arts Centre, Launceston – 13-16 August, 2025
Theatre Royal Studio Theatre, Hobart – 21-23 August, 2025
Town Hall Theatre, Devonport – 27 August, 2025
"Some evocatively choreographed movement, as well as traditional dancing and intermittent, original songs throughout the show kept the narrative bouncing along, feeling fresh, fluid and unpredictable. All in all, each of the adaptations made by Adaptivity made for a unique theatrical experience." Rose Cooper, Stage Whispers.
Cast (in order of appearance)​:
Joan Nicola Don, Pedro’s half-sister, working in military intelligence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amy Fawkner
Pedro Charles Don, corporal in Benedick’s section, Leonato’s godson . . . . . . . . . . . . .Campbell Stebbings
Benedick Howland, sergeant in Australian army, formerly dated Beatrice . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christopher Bryg
Claudio Parr, corporal in Benedick’s section, Pedro's best friend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Andrew Topperwien
Leonato Elliott, former Premier of Tasmania and Hero's father . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .David Lee
Ursula Levinson, Leonato’s sister, Beatrice’s and Hero’s aunt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lee Brient
Beatrice Taylor, Leonato’s and Ursula’s niece, Hero’s cousin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rebecca Jee
Hero Elliott-Campbell, Leonato's daughter, in love with Claudio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mel Grossman
Sean Levinson, Ursula’s son, assault pioneer in the Australian army . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nathaniel Wood
Borachio Moss, caterer and computer gamer, infatuated with Joan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bryce Schreuder
Margaret Jeffery, maid working in Leonato’s household . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lilly Amos
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Artistic/Technical Roles:
Adaptation and Artistic Direction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kelly Wilson
Original Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alex Loveless and Scott Howland
Digital Director. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Aaron Beck
Choreographer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Darren Royston
Movement Directors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kevin Vong and Kelly Wilson
Stage Manager/Projectionist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Layla Seen
Vocal Coaches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lee Brient and Christopher Bryg
Piano Accompaniment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sam Braune (Launceston and Devonport)
Tomas Webster (Hobart)
Violin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Meagan Barnes
Publicity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kelly Wilson
Lighting Design/Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark Smith (Launceston)
Lighting Operator/Mechanist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sean Wilson (Launceston)
Promotional Videos & Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Laura Eastley
Play Synopsis:
It’s 2021, in fair Tasmania, where we lay our scene. Benedick, Claudio and Pedro Don 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 Don, upon the recent death of their father, from whom Joan has been estranged for many years. 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 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.​​​​​​​​​​​
Music Composers
Alex studied at London College of Music, University of West London, RADA & Birkbeck, University of London. He has written and composed a number of works for theatre including adaptations of Kazuo Ishiguro’s Booker award-winning The Remains of the Day (Evening Standard’s Critics’ Choice / Time Out’s Best Theatre This Month September 2010) and Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles. Alex’s work has been performed around the world at venues including Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Duchess Theatre, Royal Academy of Music, and on BBC Radio 4. He is the recipient of two Arts Council England composers’ bursaries, a Vivian Ellis Prize for most promising newcomer, the Howard Goodall Award for composition, and is a professional writer associate of and reader for Mercury Musical Developments. Alex’s work is published by Samuel French Ltd, Palgrave Macmillan and London College of Music. Alex has taught, and given workshops and master classes at a number of universities and conservatoires. He wrote and leads the BA Acting, Writing and Directing degree course at London College of Music.
Scott began acting at an early age, inspiring him to become a member of the National Youth Theatre at 17 and perform in several shows at the Laban Theatre in Greenwich. He trained in contemporary, street and breakdance at Dancecity in Newcastle, as well as having a grade 8 singing qualification and playing grade 6 guitar and drums. After training in performing arts at Durham College and then in Manchester, Scott completed a masters at RADA where he studied writing as well as acting and composed an original song for Benedick in 2017 when he was the first actor to take on the role in this adaptation of Much Ado About Not(h)ing. Since then, Scott has written and starred in his own play, Nothing to Perform, which earned 5 stars at the 2017 Camden Fringe Festival. MEIWES/BRANDES, his second self-written and performed piece, premiered at the Tristan Bates Theatre in early 2018 as part of their inaugural John Thaw Initiative. Scott was also a member of the touring ensemble of Antic Disposition’s Henry V at the end of 2018, playing the roles of Nym, Westmoreland and Williams. His third play, Play 2, was performed for the first time in August 2018 at The Cockpit after a week of research and development, and it was presented at the Actor’s Centre on February 8-9, 2019.
