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Much Ado About Nothing
- A BBC Radio Shakespeare Production
- Narrated by: David Tennant, Samantha Spiro, full cast
- Length: 2 hrs and 14 mins
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Much Ado About Nothing
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Summary
In this BBC full-cast production of Much Ado About Nothing, some handsome soldiers return from battle. Yet one soldier finds himself locked in a merry war of his own....
In Shakespeare's comedy of wit, love and miscommunication, Beatrice and Benedick and Hero and Claudio are pushed into and pulled out of love, their friends playing cupid with life-changing consequences.
David Tennant and Samantha Spiro star as the famous sparring partners Benedick and Beatrice, with Chiwetel Ejiofor and Emilia Fox as Claudio and Hero. The supporting cast includes Maxine Peake and Julian Rhind-Tutt.
BBC radio has a unique heritage when it comes to Shakespeare. Since 1923, when the newly-formed company broadcast its first full-length play, generations of actors and producers have honed and perfected the craft of making Shakespeare to be heard.
In this acclaimed BBC Radio Shakespeare series, each play is introduced by Richard Eyre, former Director of the Royal National Theatre. Revitalised, original and comprehensive, this is Shakespeare for the modern day.
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What listeners say about Much Ado About Nothing
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Ms
- 23-12-12
Classic Version
A fantastic version of one of the comedies. A brillisnt tale of love, confusion & betrayal. The cast is brilliant, & I would recommend this version to any Shakespeare fan or English literature student.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Jennifer
- 12-07-14
Much Ado About Nothing
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
It is a terrific version of the play with an incredible cast - David Tennant, Samantha Spiro, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Emilia Fox and Maxine Peake to name a few.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lisa
- 26-07-22
Brilliant
One of my favourite comedies performed most excellently by an incredible cast. A joy to listen to.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 02-04-22
Gotta love Tennant
He's such a joy to listen to. The cast perform very well, though it is hard sometimes to tell the voices of the diffeent characters apart.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Irene Adler
- 01-08-14
Come...bid me do anything for thee.
I am not overly fond of Shakespeare; I am not a connoisseur nor a fan of his works. However, David Tennant's performance of Benedick is exquisite. That being said, I could probably listen to David read the phone book and be overcome with emotion. Fangirl? Yeah, maybe....just a tiny bit. This version of "Much Ado About Nothing" is abridged, and the dialogue is altered somewhat. Still, it's immensely enjoyable, and the cast really does an amazing job of bringing it to life. Samantha Spiro is very enjoyable as Beatrice, and her style works well with David's. All in all, an enjoyable listen, especially for DT fans.
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8 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Michael
- 16-09-12
Extremely Abridged!!!
What disappointed you about BBC Radio Shakespeare?
Chopped, and Cut, and re-structured.
Who was your favorite character and why?
The original
Which scene was your favorite?
The original
What character would you cut from BBC Radio Shakespeare?
The original
Any additional comments?
If the writers words have been altered, please list as abridged.
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dorene Kavanagh
- 29-05-12
Abridged and altered
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
No
Would you listen to another book narrated by the narrators?
I would love to, but the play gets modified by the performers.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes
Any additional comments?
The performance cuts out significant portions of the play. There are also several places where an actor changes a line or word order. It really takes away from the play. Also, Don John speaks too, too softly to even be heard. What's the point?
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- David
- 26-10-13
Excellent
This is a fun production of "Much Ado", with some lively and enjoyably performances, especially from Tennant and Spiro as Beatrice and Benedick. The text is cut a bit, but not to an extent that it will disturb non-purists.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jessica
- 05-11-15
Amazing!!
This is my favorite Shakespeare play. I wasn't sure how I was going to like the audio version of Shakespeare, but I really enjoyed it. It didn't hurt that David Tennant and Idris Elba were part of the cast, they are great in this, as is the rest of the cast.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Corina
- 31-03-23
ABRIDGED
The performance is abridged which I find unacceptable, because nowhere in the description does it say so. “Revitalized, original, blah blah” — no. Original does not include “sanctimoniously hacked out scene parts”. I get why abridged versions exist, but I cannot BELIEVE I wasted a credit on an abomination that doesn’t explain itself for what it is. Shakespeare inspires the dramatic in me.
TL;DR: I WANT MY MONEY BACK.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 10-09-21
David Tennant is fantastic
wonderful performance, Tennant is fantastic as always, and the other performers are great as well!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 05-09-21
lively and entertaining
This audio book enhanced my reading of the play. Tthe characters came alive and their words meaningful.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Paula
- 13-01-20
Abridged
A wonderful interpretation. I just wish it was unabridged. The cast is outstanding. Tennant shines, as always!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 15-12-19
Excellent rendition
I liked how much it felt like a live performance with sound effects. I love David Tennant as Benedict and enjoyed the rest of the performance as well. it's been one of my favorite Shakespeare play since I saw the version with Emma Thompson as a teenager and then reread the actual play. I appreciate the ridiculous bits and the human nature that sticks out in this play. Well done adaptation.
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