MONDAY 07 NOVEMBER
Drama
Much Ado about Nothing
8:30pm - 10:00pm
BBC1 London & South East
VIDEO Plus+: 16571
Subtitled, Widescreen, Audio-described
Episode written by David Nicholls
1/4
Shakespeare's confection of love, jealousy, insults and lies is smoothly transferred to 2005 and a regional television newsroom. The updating works well, as long as you approach it as 'based on' rather than a word-for-word transposing of the original. Its verbally sparring twosome, Beatrice and Benedick (a sparky Sarah Parish and a sauve Damian Lewis) are co-presenters of Wessex Tonight and though they have to keep up that faux mateyness on screen, off it they are bitching at each other.
Interactive: view scenes in the original text and explore the play's themes with ex-Spooks actor David Oyelowo via the red button.
Beatrice - Sarah Parish
Benedick - Damian Lewis
Hero - Billie Piper
Claude - Tom Ellis
Leonard - Martin Jarvis
Don - Derek Riddell
Peter - Michael Smiley
Margaret - Nina Sosanya
Ursula - Olivia Colman
Mr Berry - Anthony O'Donnell
Keith Flemming - Patrick Ryecart
Vince - Rasmus Hardiker
Girl - Henrietta Clemett
Vicar - George Potts
Waiter - George Couyas
Receptionist - Lorna Brown
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