Thursday 23 August 2018

Benedick and Beatrice

Much Ado About Nothing
I ended my trip in style tonight watching ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ at Jimmy’s Farm in Suffolk. The play was performed in a forest clearing by just six actors from the Red Rose Chain Theatre Company. Open air theatre has a magic of its own but when produced, directed and acted with such skill as was the case tonight, it rises beyond magic to something truly majestic.

The magic of open air theatre
Somewhat fittingly, considering last week’s #Swanwick70 also had a 1940s theme, tonight’s play was given a wartime setting. 

‘Much Ado’ was my set text for A level English. I remember being taught that in Shakespearean times ‘nothing’ was pronounced as ‘noting’, which double meaning is appropriate for a play where much of the mischief, for good and for bad, is caused by people overhearing conversations and spying on others.


Benedick and Beatrice, so in love (well, maybe)
Listening to strangers frequently provides a good prompt for a fiction story. As I return home I must pay attention to the conversation of those around me in hopes that I will find inspiration to get back into my writing. And in the imaginary world I can create as much mischief as I like, as long as no one recognises themselves in the story.

2 comments:

  1. I think writers start to eavesdrop automatically after a while. I imagine I have a small invisible radar type detector scanning for interesting conversations to listen in to. :D

    It's interesting to see a Shakespeare play done in a different time setting, as the main plots can be transferred. Makes you realise that Shakespeare was writing themes any audience would recognise.

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    1. Thanks for commenting, Carol. I like your radar scanner analogy. And yes, Shakespeare is indeed timeless. All the more amazing as so many of his plays and themes are based on classic Greek stories. A good plot never goes out of style.

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