Much Ado about Nothing

Arkangel Shakespeare

By: William Shakespeare

Narrated by: Saskia Reeves, Samuel West, Paul Jesson, Jason O'Mara, Abigail Docherty, Bryan Pringle

Length: 2 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

Young Claudio has fallen for the lovely heiress Hero, who also loves him. Their path to the altar looks smooth, until the evil Don John intervenes.

All ends happily, thanks to his incompetent assassins and the lucky discoveries of the bungling constable Dogberry. Central to the play, one of Shakespeare's best-loved comedies, are Beatrice and Benedick, masters of wit and sworn foes to marriage - until a plot is hatched to bring them together.

Beatrice is played by Saskia Reeves, while Samuel West plays Benedick. Paul Jesson is Don Pedro, Jason O'Mara is Claudio, and Abigail Docherty is Hero. Dogberry is played by Bryan Pringle.

Public Domain (P)2014 Blackstone Audio

Live in thy heart, die in thy lap

A good, light Shakespeare comedy. Many of the usual Shakespeare tropes (mistaken identities, smart women, dumb men, fools, gender roles, marriage folies). It probably isn't top half of my favorites, but that is partially because I have a slight bias against Shakespeare's comedies. I prefer his tragedies and histories. But that is me. And there are plenty of ticket-buying people that disagree. 'Much Ado About Nothing' is still one of the more common plays of Shakespeare to see performing in schools, with Shakespeare companies, and in movies. It is a gambol that apparently plays.

Favorite lines:

“I can see he's not in your good books,' said the messenger.
'No, and if he were I would burn my library.” (Act 1, Scene 1)

“He that hath a beard is more than a youth, and he that hath no beard is less than a man. He that is more than a youth is not for me, and he that is less than a man, I am not for him.” (Act 2, Scene 1)

“Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps.” (Act 3, Scene 1)

“I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest.” (Act 4, Scene 1)

“For it 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
While it was ours.” (Act 4, Scene 1)

Great performance!

This is an unabridged performance of Much Ado About Nothing. It is well performed and a joy to listen to!

Always love Arkangel

No one does Shakespeare justice like Arkangel performance. The actors, the supplemental music and sound effects, always brings the Globe Theatre to life. A sure fire win each and every time.

Shakespeare in audio takes some editorial skill

Samuel West is a fine Benedick, but this production phones in some of the adaptive process required for Shakespeare to work well in an audio format, in order to grasp changes in context, as in through sound design, and being able to quickly identify characters through casting distinct voices, some of this just does not seem to be done with an ear towards enhancing the experience properly.

loved it!

The most memorable moment is the beatrice monologue I will now learn for mfa acting auditions! she learns of Benedick's supposed love. thanks!

Can't hear dialog clearly

Terribly difficult to hear clearly. One minute the voices are loud and then quiet. Background music is far too loud, the story is lost on it. I recommend a different rendition.

Dissatisfied

Much Ado about Nothing is by far my absolute favorite play by Shakespeare. I was really looking forward to hearing this since I have never met a rendition that I didn’t like… Until this one. Very disappointing.

Love Story or Comedy?

Our book club chose Shakespeare‘s Much Ado About Nothing as our February read for the month of love. This is one Shakespeare play that I never got around to reading in high school nor college. I will say that I was struggling through the first act so thought it might be more engaging and easier to follow in audio and I was correct! The language flowed so much more smoothly. I enjoyed the story and think it is both a love story and comedy.

Well done

Well presented rendition of this timeless play. Musical accompaniment was a pleasant bonus. Very enjoyable.

Beautiful performance!

I’m so grateful for this production of Much Ado about Nothing! The actors adeptly captured the mood of the play and were very intelligible. The lovely musical interludes helped pace the play and set the tone from act to act, scene to scene. Thank you for this fine work! And may the world be peopled!