Playing Shakespeare

Cutting the play

Much Ado About Nothing usually runs for about three hours. The Globe Theatre is open to the elements and because our production is being performed in March, it may well be very cold. Three hours is a long time for an audience to stand in the cold.

In my cut I wanted it to get straight to the core of the story. When editing the text, my starting point was not looking at what could be cut, but rather what was essential to keep in. I identified moments that didn't drive the story forward and cut jokes and phrases that a modern audience might find obscure or difficult to understand.

There are ten actors in this production, so as well as some people doubling roles, I have combined the characters of Borachio and Conrade and also Margaret and Ursula. Some characters, such as Antonio have been cut completely and I have given some of his lines to Leonato.

As the members of the audience will primarily be young people who are studying the play for exams, I have had to edit the set scenes for national assessment at KS3 very carefully. However, it is not possible to present these scenes in full without creating an imbalance in the pace and rhythm of the whole production.

Act 4, Scene 1

This scene has had minimal cuts and remains close to the full-text version of the play.

The significant difference is that some of the Friar's lines have been omitted in our production. This decision was based on the fact that the Friar, in persuading the other characters on stage that his plan will work, often backs-up what he says to justify his plan. His speech becomes very thoughtful and reflective in places - which though clearly expressed - for the purposes of our production, is in danger of slowing down the story telling process.

Some of Beatrice and Benedick's lines have also been cut, towards the end of the scene; particularly in the moment where Beatrice gives a number of examples expressing her frustration at Claudio's behavior. In our production one example is sufficient.