Stagione 2017 - Serale
5-15 Ottobre 2017

Much ado about nothing

Produzione:

Politeama Srl in coproduzione con The Bedouin Shakespeare Company

Testo in lingua originale

” Sigh no more Ladies, sigh no more,

Men were deceivers ever,

One foote in Sea, and one on shore,

To one thing constant never…”

Testo in lingua originale

” Sigh no more Ladies, sigh no more,

Men were deceivers ever,

One foote in Sea, and one on shore,

To one thing constant never…”

Much Ado About Nothing is both a sublime comedy and a biting drama revolving around how we can be stirred into action (Much Ado) by untruths and falsehoods (Nothing). The story is driven by the fact that both good and bad consequences arise out of the lies, deceits, pretences, misrepresentations and distortions perpetrated by many characters in the play. These deceptions in the play have both positive and destructive motives. Benedick is led to believe Beatrice is pining for him while Beatrice is hoodwinked into believing that Benedick is languishing out of unrequited love for her. Hero is misled by a masked Don Pedro into believing he is Count Claudio wooing her. Claudio himself pretends to be Benedick at one point and Margaret the servant girl pretends to be Beatrice. Benedick pretends he is not himself at the masked ball while at the same time Beatrice pretends she does not recognise him. The evil Don John first tries to persuade Claudio that Don Pedro has stolen Hero, his love, from him and then, even worse, Don John and Borachio manufacture a scenario in which Claudio and Don Pedro are misled into believing that Hero is unfaithful to Claudio on the night before their wedding. Perhaps most dramatically of all, Claudio is deceived into believing that Hero has died of shame and dishonour as a result of his false accusations. And finally, Claudio is led to believe that he is about to marry dead Hero’s cousin and Beatrice and Benedick refuse to admit that they love each other until the truth is revealed, Don John exposed as a villainous liar and all is happily resolved.

” Mai piu’ sospiri, donne,

Mai piu’ sospiri ormai,

Che ogn’uom v’inganna,

Un pie’ sull’onda, un sulla sponda,

Donne, fedele mai…”

Benedetto si convince che Beatrice spasimi per lui, mentre Beatrice viene persuasa con l’inganno a ritenere che Benedetto stia languendo d’amore non ricambiato per lei. Hero, fuorviata da un Don Pedro mascherato, pensa che sia il Conte Claudio a corteggiarla. A un certo punto lo stesso Claudio finge di essere Benedetto, e la serva Margaret finge di essere Beatrice. Al ballo mascherato Benedetto finge di non essere se stesso, mentre Beatrice al contempo finge di non riconoscerlo. La perfida Donna John cerca di convincere Claudio che Don Pedro abbia rapito Ero, il suo amore,e poi, peggio ancora, Donna John e Borachio si inventano una situazione per cui Claudio e Don Pedro si convincono che Hero sia infedele a Claudio la notte prima delle nozze. Il momento forse piu’ drammatico è quando Claudio, con l’inganno, si persuade che Hero sia morta di vergogna e disonore come risultato delle false accuse. Alla fine Claudio è portato a credere di stare per sposare la cugina della defunta Hero, e Beatrice e Benedetto rifiutano di ammettere di amarsi fin quando non viene svelata la verità, Donna John riconosciuta quale perfida bugiarda e tutto finisce bene.