Much Ado About Nothing (William Shakespeare)

In the picturesque countryside of Messina, Italy, comes a tale of love, deceit, and woe, but mostly merriment. Enter Prince Don Pedro and his trusted soldiers who decide to stay for at least a month at local patron Leonato’s estate following the wars in Spain. The Count Claudio sets his eye upon the young and beautiful Hero, Leonato’s daughter, while the somewhat older and more mature Signior Benedick wrestles with his feelings for Hero’s cousin, the lady Beatrice.

Don Pedro plans to bring Benedick and Beatrice into a mountain of affection for each other before the day of Hero and Claudio’s wedding. However, before Hero and Claudio’s wedding can take place, Don Pedro’s evil half-brother Don John devises a plan with his lackeys to cross the lovers and everyone else involved.

After setting up a plot in which of his lackeys has an affair with one of Hero’s waiting-women (a Hero-lookalike), witnessed by Don Pedro and Claudio, the wedding goes astray and all hope seems to be lost for the young lovers.

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, the self-appointed constable Dogberry and his somewhat ambiguous ‘partner’ Verges unwittingly stumble upon Don John’s lackeys and their evil plot.

What will happen to Hero and Claudio, and Benedick and Beatrice, and what will become of this merriment that was meant to be? Will every good thing take a turn for the worse… or will it all prove to be much ado about nothing?

December 6-7, 2013
Theater Toverlei

Director: Kala Hartman Anaya
Stage Manager: Fréderieke Wijnhoven

Producer: Iris de Wolf
Artistic Director: Catrin Simons
Treasurer: Liduine de Graaff
PR Officer: Amber van der Graaf

Set: Pepijn Gerrits, Mark van der Salm, Daan Borloo, Susanne Bruisten
Props: Kathrin Jürgenhake
Hair/Make-up: Yannai Lakeman, Elzbieta Bertauskaite, Lotte “Charlie” Stolk, Lotte Lemstra
Poster Design: Kala Hartman Anaya, Amber van der Graaf

CAST

Beatrice: Anna McGrail
Benedick: Daphne Lamers
Don Pedro: Lotte Lemstra
Claudio: Amber van der Graaf
Hero: Catrin Simons
Leonato: Kimberly Neumann
Antonio: Justin Buchanan
Don John: Raene Sijbom
Borachio: Alexandra van Kampen
Conrade: Jacopo Griggio
Dogberry: Liduine de Graaff
Verges: Lotte “Charlie” Stolk
Hugh Oatcake, the Watchman: Margot Styfhals
Ursula: Kayleigh Awad
Louis de Prima, the Messenger: Stuart Edelenbos
Friar Francis: Bodwin Simons
Rosalynd: Myrthe van der Graaf

Many Thanks To:
Rose Stegeman, Leiden University English Department, CopyCopy Leiden, Wijnand Slurink, Lucas de Groen, Joy van Dongeren, Larissa Schulte Nordholt, Martina Noteboom, Tamara Mateos, Xavi Serena.

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