Much Ado About Nothing.

Much Ado About Nothing: "a merry war...a skirmish of wits".

In a series of five practical acting workshops we will approach this popular comedy as actors might in a rehearsal room. The play contains both comic and tragic elements in terms of plot, character and dialogue. Much of the dialogue is written in witty prose but there are lyrical passages of blank verse, especially in the last two acts of the play. Two very different sets of lovers are at the heart of this comedy and we shall explore their relationships for much of the time. All students should be prepared to read aloud with a degree of fluency and clarity. Each workshop will begin with a brief text-based vocal and physical warm-up, based on Beatrice's lines at the end of Act Three Scene One, lines 107-112. Please wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Apart from the four lovers, we shall take a look at the wonderfully exuberant comic characters, Dogberry, Verges and the members of the Watch.

Students should come to the workshops as actors do in rehearsal, looking for clues in the script to help to make performance choices. The phrase, "letting the words do the work" is the idea. Lap-tops are not permitted as they would not be used in a professional rehearsal room but students will be encouraged to participate in a very active and engaged manner. A close reading of the first act will be a great help before work starts. We shall be using the Penguin Classics edition of the play and this should be brought to every workshop.