2024
by William Shakespeare, adapted by Sophie Key
Venue – Cellar Bar/Courtyard/Tindle Studio (promenade) – Farnham Maltings
Key Players first Shakespeare! The mission was to make this production engaging and accessible for all, even those who thought they didn’t like Shakespeare! Sophie wanted to explore the idea of being a female voice in a male world, and so the idea for gender-reversing some of the roles was born, which meant that the female dominated company would all get a piece of the action.
As a backdrop for this, wartime was perfect, when else in history do women get given all the different positions of power and status?! And so Leonato became Leona, Don Pedro became Lady Petra, Claudio became Claudia, and Don Jon became Joanna; and the roles of Beatrice and Benedick were reversed.
Much Ado About Nothing
Much of the adaptation was based on the factual events of the time – the British Restaurant initiative, the Land Army Girls sowing their potatoes, the regular open-air dances; and most important of all the locally posted Canadian soldiers, waiting patiently to do their bit to support the Allies.
The joy of putting on any of Shakespeare’s plays, particularly the comedies, is that they are wonderfully adaptable, since wherever and however you set them, the key themes are timeless. We shall never tire of Beatrice and Benedick’s bickering, Dogberry’s self-delusion, and of a good old happy ending that ends in a song and a dance!
Absolutely up there in my (v short list) of fave & most entertaining theatre trips. It was WONDERFUL.
Amazingly creative setting, superbly directed and executed with absolute precision and conviction by all the actors.
Audience Reactions...
Much Ado about Nothing’ by the Key Players, was nothing short of brilliant.
We could have been in the West End! I feel nourished by wonderful theatre.
