Beaucoup de bruit pour rien

Ever since having fond memories of studying it in school, 'Much Ado About Nothing' became one of my favourites of Shakespeare's plays. Love everything about it, though it is very difficult to make Hero and Claudio interesting, because there is so much fun and charm, particularly great characters in Beatrice and Benedick, a story that never lets up on the entertainment value and Shakespeare's text is some of his loveliest and most amusing.

As far as the BBC Television Shakespeare series (one where some productions are better than others but misfires are very few) goes, their 1984 performance of 'Much Ado About Nothing' is among the best of the productions. Despite loving Kenneth Branagh's version on primarily its own merits, for namely the visuals, music, Branagh and Emma Thompson, this one is the better version of 'Much Ado About Nothing' with particularly vastly superior performances of Dogberry and Don John. While not as visually striking as that, it is more faithful and it is more tasteful as well. When it comes to this play, this is as good a version as one can get in my view.

While not as cinematic quality or as sumptuous, the costumes and sets are tastefully designed and didn't come over as too drab or garish. The photography complements very nicely and in terms of lighting it didn't come over as dreary or over-saturated. There is a sense of time and place, which always helps when performing anything but Shakespeare is one of the biggest examples, and effort was clearly made.

Have no issues whatsoever with Shakespeare's text and the stage direction does a great job helping to bring it alive. The momentum never lets up, and for me it didn't feel dull at first, and the comedy is genuinely funny, at its best hilarious, and not overdone (not to the extent that it irritates anyhow). It's not just comedy, there is genuine tension in the wedding scene, one of the stage direction highlights here, and there was emotion too in particularly the latter stages. The chapel scene is one of the greatest individual scenes of the entire BBC Television Shakespeare series, Beatrice's despair was tremendously powerful. The character relationships are handled with humour, tension, charm and poignancy, that between Benedick and Beatrice particularly.

Likewise, no issues can be had with the performances. Cherie Lunghi's Beatrice, one of Shakespeare's most interesting female characters (and overall actually), stood out, her wit, shrewish nature and identifiable assertiveness making it easy for one to see what can be seen in her. Entertaining chemistry can be seen between her and Robert Lindsay's suitably arrogant and commanding Benedick in their merry war against each other. Katherine Levy is a radiant Hero and makes the most of the role, while Robert Reynolds avoids being wet as Claudio.

Jon Finch is scheming and noble as Don Pedro, while there are two performances that are infinitely better here than in Branagh's. Am aware that this came before Branagh's, but saw Branagh's first and have always been more familiar with it. Michael Elphick has fun as Dogberry while not over-acting or being too clownish, while Vernon Dobtchef is a subtly Machiavellian Don John.

To conclude, wonderful. 10/10

Lindsay and Lunghi bring to light previously unknown facets to the two well-known characters of Benedict and Beatrice, and have a kind of sympatico that makes their sudden love for each other more believable than is generally found in other versions of Much Ado. They are bolstered by a marvelous supporting cast. This production far exceeds Branagh's film version in acting, but suffers when the production values are compared, an unfair comparison since Branagh had the luxury of actually making a film on location while this BBC edition is a teleplay.

I concur with the predominantly favorable assessments of this production that have already been posted. Robert Lindsay and Cherie Lunghi are both excellent, and Katharine Levy is likewise outstanding in the role of Hero. Robert Reynolds (presumably intentionally) makes clear how repellent Claudio is, as he delivers a fine performance in that difficult role. Jon Finch emphasizes the silly and decadent dimension of the role of Don Pedro, in a capable performance that could have been enriched with a bit more gravitas. Michael Elphick is far, far better -- far, far funnier -- in the role of Dogberry than was Michael Keaton in Kenneth Branagh's cinematic version of the play.

My only complaint relates to Graham Crowden in the role of Friar Francis. He conveys the impression of not having memorized his part very well; his intonation in his recitation of some of his key lines is decidedly odd.

Robert Lindsay is an excellent Benedick, punchy and precise in word, action and emotion. Cherie Lunghi finds less variation in her Beatrice, but is nonetheless quite good.

Jon Finch camps outrageously as Don Pedro, delivering his lines in frank imitation of Sir Laurence Olivier at his giddiest. How did this apparent party turn wind up in here? But it does not distract from the progress of the play.

The rest of the cast is fine and the whole affair moves at a reasonable pace. The physical production is beautiful to the eye, inspired by the finest Italian Renaissance painters. Highly recommended.

Watching this 148 minute highly professional BBC production cannot but warm the heart of any Shakespeare appreciator. The beautiful and witty Cherie Lunghi is a properly shrewish yet desirable Beatrice, and she is the greatest boon of this production.

This version, due to its length (I always appreciate using the full text), is divided up into two parts, and part one can sometimes become a little dull. BBC's Complete Works of Shakespeare seems to be made so as to honor Shakespeare's language more than the performing of his drama, and I cannot fault them for this, since I, too, ultimately consider the plays more literature than theater. But BBC's chosen actors and actresses are so consummately professional, clear-speaking and well-rehearsed that this becomes far more than mere recital (unlike, for instance, the dull Kevin Kline version of Hamlet). And in terms of animated and emotional acting, part two of this production more than makes up for whatever shortcomings in this department part one may have had. The wedding scene with Claudio's shaming of Hero was played intensely dramatically, and clearly the best sequence of this production.

I was also greatly impressed with the immensely well-crafted stage sets.

Today, however, this version does come across as slightly old-fashioned, or at least traditional. It cannot measure up to Branagh's movie version, which in this reviewer's opinion is one of the few perfect movies of any kind ever made. Its visuals underscore the beauty of the words, and the formidable chemistry between all the actors is clear as day. Even the text cuts are largely justified, as most of what was cut was not important for the action. A more definitive version can scarcely be made.

So the BBC version receives a 9 out of 10 from me. While it seemed textually complete, there were actually a few bits missing. For instance, when Claudio says of Hero, "Can the world buy such a jewel?", for some reason they neglected to include Benedick's reply, "Yea, and a case to put it into!", which is a pretty important line as it, among other things, prefigures Hero's apparent death and thus her placement in a coffin (= casket = case).

I have only seen these two Much Ado productions, BBC's and Branagh's (well, and the 2005 Shakespeare Retold version, but that was not anywhere near this league), but I am greatly looking forward to seeing other productions, which I hope I will have the opportunity to.