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Much Ado About Nothing
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Our production for 2025 will be Much Ado About Nothing
List of venues and dates
Performances start at 19:30, unless stated otherwise
Thursday 17th
July, 2025 - 19:00 start
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The Alverbank Hotel, Stokes Bay Rd, Alverstoke, Gosport, PO12 2QT
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Friday 18th
July, 2025 - 19:00 start
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Fairthorne Manor, Curdridge, Hampshire SO30 2GH
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Sunday 20th July, 2025 - 18:00 start
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Buckler's Hard, New Forest, SO42 7XB
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| Tuesday 22nd to Friday 25th, 2025 | c17th Village, Barrington Close, Howe Road, Gosport, PO13 8NZ
Gates open at 18:30
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Saturday, 26th July,
2025
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Hill Farm House, Droxford Road, Swanmore, SO32 2PY
Gates open at 17:00
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Tickets and pricing
Alverbank Hotel - Admission £14 - Contact www.alverbank.co.uk/events
Fairthorne Manor - Adults £10, Children £8, Family (2 adults + 2 chidren) £28 - Contact The Villagers (see below)
Buckler's Hard - Adults £12.50, Under 18 £7.50,Family £30 - Contact info@hshants.org.uk
c17th Village - Adults £10, Children £8, Family (2 adults + 2 children) £28 - Contact The Villagers (see below)
Hill Farm House - Adults £12, Children £6 - Contact 07803 299973
Contact The Villagers
Please phone 02392 345346, email villagers@villagers.org.uk or use Facebook Messenger
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Much
Ado About Nothing begins in Messina, where Leonato lives with his
daughter, Hero, and her cousin and companion, the Lady Beatrice.
Leonato receives word that his friend, the Duke Don Pedro has returned
from war and plans to visit with some of his fellow soldiers. Among the
party is Claudio, who quickly falls in love with Hero. Benedick, a
bachelor who has sworn off love and marriage, also comes, and he enjoys
speaking his mind in witty argument with Beatrice.
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Leonato
holds a masked ball to celebrate the end of the war. While at the ball,
the engagement of Claudio and Hero is arranged. At the same time, Don
Pedro's brother, Don John, seeks a way to spoil the general happiness
(just because he's bitter and petty that way). Don John plots with the
soldiers, Borachio and Conrad, to deceive Claudio into believing Hero
has cheated on him.
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That
night, Hero's maid, Margaret, talks with Borachio from Hero's bedroom
window. Claudio and the Duke watch secretly from a distance and think
that the girl at the window is Hero. Meanwhile, Hero, Claudius and Don
Pedro decide Benedick and Beatrice are ideal partners, despite (or
because of) their bickering. They make a plot to allow Benedick to
overhear them discussing Beatrice's love for him and vice versa. After
a series of overheard conversations, Benedick and Beatrice realise they
do indeed love one another.
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At
Hero's wedding, Claudio is still deceived into thinking Hero cheated on
him. He denounces her and leaves her apparently dead from shock. With
the help of the priest, Leonato, Beatrice, and Benedick decide to
pretend that Hero is actually dead until her name can be cleared.
Later, the watchmen—managed by the bumbling village constable
Dogberry–overhear Borachio and Conrad brag about the trick that they
played on Claudio and Don Pedro. They arrest the pair.
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Dogberry's
incriminating information is, after some difficulty, given to Leonato
and Don Pedro. As penance for causing Hero's death, Claudio agrees to
accept Leonato's "niece" in her place. The "niece" turns out to be Hero
(conveniently). The play comes to a joyful conclusion as the lovers are
reunited, and Benedick and Beatrice announce that they will share the
wedding day. Don John has been captured while trying to escape and is
left for future trial while the play ends with a merry dance.
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