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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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
ReplyDeleteIt'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.
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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