Much Ado About Nothing, William Shakespeare
Much Ado About Nothing, William Shakespeare
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Much Ado About Nothing
A BBC Radio Shakespeare production

Author: William Shakespeare

Narrator: Samantha Spiro, Emilia Fox, Maxine Peake, Chiwetel Ejiofor, David Tennant, Julian Rhind-Tutt

Unabridged: 2 hr 14 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 12/01/2004

Synopsis

In this BBC full-cast production of Much Ado About Nothing, some handsome soldiers return from battle. Yet one soldier finds himself locked in a merry war of his own...

In Shakespeare's comedy of wit, love and miscommunication, Beatrice and Benedick and Hero and Claudio are pushed into and pulled out of love, their friends playing cupid with life-changing consequences.

David Tennant and Samantha Spiro star as the famous sparring partners Benedick and Beatrice, with Chiwetel Ejiofor and Emilia Fox as Claudio and Hero. The supporting cast includes Maxine Peake and Julian Rhind-Tutt.

BBC radio has a unique heritage when it comes to Shakespeare. Since 1923, when the newly-formed company broadcast its first full-length play, generations of actors and producers have honed and perfected the craft of making Shakespeare to be heard.

In this acclaimed BBC Radio Shakespeare series, each play is introduced by Richard Eyre, former Director of the Royal National Theatre. Revitalised, original and comprehensive, this is Shakespeare for the modern day.

About William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was born in April 1564 in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon, on England’s Avon River. When he was eighteen, he married Anne Hathaway. The couple had three children—an older daughter Susanna and twins, Judith and Hamnet. Hamnet, Shakespeare’s only son, died in childhood. The bulk of Shakespeare’s working life was spent in the theater world of London, where he established himself professionally by the early 1590s. He enjoyed success not only as a playwright and poet, but also as an actor and shareholder in an acting company. Although some think that sometime between 1610 and 1613 Shakespeare retired from the theater and returned home to Stratford, where he died in 1616, others believe that he may have continued to work in London until close to his death.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Anne on July 11, 2025

Hey nonny, nonny! <--whatever that means, William. This is one that I've read before but I thought it would be cool to listen to the full cast audiobook. Definitely worth it. Just rewatched the 1993 movie, which is also worth it, but for a different reason. Keanu Reeves + Shakespeare = Unintentionally H......more

Goodreads review by Kelly on August 11, 2007

Let's face it, there aren't too many of Shakespeare's females who kick ass. Yes, we all can name the four or five that don't quite suck (Kat, Portia, Viola, Emilia, etc) but good strong feminine characters were not, it seems, the bard's strong suit. So as you wade through the whiny, conniving, helpl......more

Goodreads review by Bill on March 19, 2020

I don't think Much Ado ranks with Shakespeare's very best for three reasons: 1) the plot is weak, particularly the deception that moves things along during the first act (why does Don Pedro choose to woo by proxy en masque? What is to be gained by it except delay and confusion?), 2) Dogberry and Ver......more

Goodreads review by Lisa of Troy on July 07, 2025

My security detail says absolutely no to real-time location sharing. Surprise! I have been in New York for the last two weeks! The Catherine Project invited me to a seminar for Much Ado About Nothing when I was already scheduled to be in New York. When destiny knocks, my door is always open. If Shakes......more

Goodreads review by Elle on July 28, 2019

here I am reviewing this play exactly 420 years since it came out.... it's what Beatrice and Benedick would've wanted So... the thing is. This is, in all honesty, the play that got me into Shakespeare. I saw that Kenneth Branagh / Emma Thompson movie of it when I was maybe eight years old and I loved......more

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