Much Ado About Nothing
by William Shakespeare with additional text by Erin Shields
Graham Abbey and Maev Beaty, photo by David Cooper
The company, Design by Julie Fox, Lighting by Arun Srinivasan, Photo by David Hou
Maev Beaty and Graham Abbey; Design by Julie Fox, Lighting by Arun Srinivasan, Photo by David Hou
John Kirkpatrick, Josue Laboucane, Kevin Kruchkywich, Design by Julie Fox, Lighting by Arun Srinivasan, Photo by David Hou
Allison Edwards-Crewe; Design by Julie Fox, Lighting by Arun Srinivasan, Photo by David Hou
“She is aware that sign and semblance might
Eclipse whatever truth and honour be.
Much ado can be made about nothing
If it appears a woman’s nothing has
Been up to something wholly untoward.”
For the Stratford Festival’s Production of Much Ado About Nothing, I wrote a prologue for Beatrice and a new scene seamlessly inserted into Act 5 in which Hero responds to the violence she has endured throughout the play. It is my hope that this additional text both gives an opportunity for a limited character to reach her heroic potential and provides a framework for this incredibly successful comedy to reach contemporary audiences in an even deeper way today.
Drama - 5 acts, 3 hours
Production History:
Much Ado About Nothing was directed by Chris Abraham and commissioned by The Stratford Festival of Canada under the Artistic Direction of Antoni Cimolino and Executive Director Anita Gaffney.
The Stratford Festival Theatre: May 29th - October 27th 2023.
Reviews
“Small but significant textual additions by the classically inclined feminist playwright Erin Shields make this Much Ado different from others that have come before – and, I hope this isn’t too sacrilegious to say, more satisfying as a piece of drama.”
— Kelly Nestruck, The Globe and Mail
“Erin Shields offers additional text to this Shakespearean favourite, and this immediately allows for a kind of freshness and fun that undoubtedly was felt by original audiences back in Elizabethan times when this play first hit the scene.”
— Lauren Gienow, Broadway World
“Shields adds a generous exchange in which the pair consider the potential of their relationship and the terms with which they should proceed. All of which makes the final festivities far more enjoyable.”
— Chris Wiegand, The Guardian
“The monumentally charming opening monologue, filled with clever play, dreamingly ushers us forth into this expertly staged and performed comedy that Shakespeare wrote back in 1598.”
— Ross, Times Square Chronicles