Brush up your Shakespeare?

EricTheWeary

Have tickets to see Much Ado About Nothing at Stratford in December. I've never seen Shakespeare live ( as it's in his home town obviously hoping for a guest performance by the man himself...) and I'm not that sure about my capacity to follow it for hours. Slightly concerned that I'll just sit there lost for great stretches. I know nothing at all about Much Ado. Do people read up before they go or just take it as it comes or does everybody else who pays £35 a ticket just know the work well anyway?

not_the_dj

I think it's a stage show based on a Keanu Reeves/Denzel Washington movie.

The DVD will be pretty cheap, so I'd watch that first.

Make sure you have a pint in "The Dirty Duck" before (and after) the show.

EricTheWeary

We could do with somewhere to eat in Stratford but rather concerned that it's a town of over priced rubbish for tourists ( the food reviews of the Dirty Duck being an example).

not_the_dj

There's a McDonalds

EricTheWeary

not_the_dj said:

There's a McDonalds

well, you know what you are going to get!

not_the_dj

Careful now, I might be coming along to the Beehive on Saturday to heckle  >:)

EricTheWeary

not_the_dj said:

Careful now, I might be coming along to the Beehive on Saturday to heckle  >:)

I wouldn't wish that on you!

frankus

It's about a Prince, his half-brother (who the prince has just defeated in war), the war hero Claudio and Benedict his friend.

They stop at a place on the way back from war and the local lord throws a party - Claudio falls for the host's daughter Hero, and Benedict resumes a love-hate relationship with Beatrice the host's niece.

Seeing Claudio in love with Hero the princes half-brother seeks to sour it and succeeds - when they're due to be married Claudio denounces Hero who faints and is presumed dead.

Beatrice confides in Benedict who agrees to help restore Hero's name - which works and they all live happily ever after.

I'd only brush up on it  if it's one of those modern takes where it's set in a Juice-Bar ir staged entirely on Mopeds. .. and then I'd not go

EricTheWeary

Staged in WWI. Juice bar on mopeds sound better though! :ar!

holnrew

I studied it at school, there's a character called Johnny the Bastard which was amazing for us teens.

Shakespeare is best enjoyed on the stage, just go along without expectations.

Hootsmon

who has a brush up Shakespeare?

Hootsmon

^ poor guy...sounds like a sore one

axisus

I'm pretty sure that much ado is one of the ones that is pretty easy to follow, reasonably 'lightweight'. You could read a brief summary first to get the gist of what's going on (plenty on t'interweb). Having said that, it will spoil the story! I wouldn't bother, just go and enjoy it! 

boogieman

Shakespeare is much better on stage, decent actors help to make sense of it too. Seeing it at the RSC should be a treat.
I studied Hamlet for my English O level. We spent a whole year dissecting it, studying the hidden meanings behind the words, psychoanalysing the principle characters and their motives and responses. By the end of the year I knew loads of stuff but couldn't tell you what actually happened in the story. Then we saw a stage production: talk about a lightbulb moment!

xSkarloey

EricTheWeary said:

Have tickets to see Much Ado About Nothing at Stratford in December. I've never seen Shakespeare live ( as it's in his home town obviously hoping for a guest performance by the man himself...) and I'm not that sure about my capacity to follow it for hours. Slightly concerned that I'll just sit there lost for great stretches. I know nothing at all about Much Ado. Do people read up before they go or just take it as it comes or does everybody else who pays £35 a ticket just know the work well anyway?

Not really. Shakespeare was english. He wrote in english. You speak English.  I can't think of a better grounding for 'getting' Shakespeare. 

I wouldn't bother much about mugging up on the plot. After all, there are many who say that Shakespeare himself didn't bother much with plot either  

It;'d be great if it was a performance with regional accents. I've seen/ heard Shakespeare performances in English regional accents and American accents too, and they have far more swing and zing for me. 

 

VimFuego

seen several plays at stratford (though a fair few years now) you won't be disappointed. The comedies are (IMO at leaset) a good way into Shakespeare (not that I'm claiming to be knowledgeable or anything) as the plot is less important than the characters, and with the Royal S putting on the production you'll get some wonderful performances. 

strumjoughlamps

ahhhh Love Labours Lost/Won, one of my faves, I take it its on at the RST? in which case yes you will overpay for a meal, if you don't want to splash out then you might be best to go for a pub meal... there is a Carluccios but I haven't been yet, or if you are splashing out anyway there is a boat restaurant.. but as I say the better priced good food will be at the Old Thatch(where we would tend to go) or similar good pub..

are you stopping over? if you have time to spare try to go to the butterfly farm, its superb..

EricTheWeary

strumjoughlamps said:

ahhhh Love Labours Lost/Won, one of my faves, I take it its on at the RST? in which case yes you will overpay for a meal, if you don't want to splash out then you might be best to go for a pub meal... there is a Carluccios but I haven't been yet, or if you are splashing out anyway there is a boat restaurant.. but as I say the better priced good food will be at the Old Thatch(where we would tend to go) or similar good pub..

are you stopping over? if you have time to spare try to go to the butterfly farm, its superb..

yes, I was thinking Carluccios, posh McDonald's!

imalone

EricTheWeary said:

Have tickets to see Much Ado About Nothing at Stratford in December. I've never seen Shakespeare live

I hate to tell you this, but he's dead. (Okay, you already did that joke)
Yes, most of them make much more sense onstage in a halfway traditional production. The comedies are sometimes harder to follow, probably because the characters themselves can be a bit confused.

Bogwhoppit

With Shakespeare and Marlowe plays (i.e. Dr Faustus), its best to have a quick look at some simple GCSE analysis on the sparknotes website. It helps to give you a brief outline of the plot and to laugh at the appropriate times without looking like an arts philistine.

Just think music and get into the Iambic pentameter of the blank verse.

 

blueskunk

Think he was in doctor who once.