"Much Ado About Nothing"

This is the Pop Up Globe's farewell season in Auckland and we are back to it this evening to see Much Ado About Nothing.  The producers of this presentation have adapted Shakespeare's play just a little by placing it in a South Pacific setting.  

The evening is a beautiful one. Clear skies and a temperature of about 21 (70 degrees F) make it ideal. It won't be too hot inside.  

We're going to be sorry to see the P. U. Globe go. It's has become familiar and very comfortable to us. We will be attending one more performance here in a few weeks, Romeo and Juliet. 

A entertaining night out is always fun, so sit back and let your finger click your way through the bright lights and excitement of this action-packed comedy.   

 We always arrive early so that we can enjoy a beverage or other treats and wander around the grounds for a while.  

 Jeanne and I have seats. This is the view across the Groundling area where you can see Allie and the boys discussing matters. Notice the steps just behind them. 

A great deal of action takes place when characters either enter or leave the stage through the Groundling area so the boys are often within touching distance of the performing characters. In fact, during this performance, Arram was high-fived by Don John (the villain) 

 That's Benedick on the swing.

 You might describe Beatrice as 'lively.' 

It's intermission and I'm outside to buy Jeanne a glass of wine. 

 The boys also used the break to find some ice cream.

 Benedick and Beatrice finally get down to business and discuss their true feelings for one another. 

Shakespeare wrote these two as clowns in his original play. In this adaptation, they took the form of two bumbling, hyper-active constables. (I think one of them thought he was Jim Carrey) They appeared and disappeard just as quickly, throughout the performance, and sometimes in surprising ways.  

 At the end of the play, when everyting turns out happily, bubbles were released.  

 The crowd loved it. (That's Arram's hand extended) 

 The cast

Traffic looks heavy, but there were no delays and we made it home easily. 

I know that the boys will always remember these, their first tastes of Shakespeare's plays as they go through life. At some point they'll undoubtedly study Shakespeare's works in some class and I hope they smile as they remember our adventures.    -djf