Much Ado About Nothing (Arkangel Complete Shakespeare Series)

Rating:
Summary: Arkangel recording quite a good one
Review: The recent Arkangel Shakespeare entry, <Much Ado About Nothing>, continues the consistently fine acting found in most of the sets in this series. Having as its only competition the CD and cassette re-release by Harper Collins Audio of the old Caedmon set with Rex Harrison and Rachel Roberts, this is a far better recording as regards sound and (I feel) a lot livelier acting that makes the lines easier to follow without a text open in one's hand.

Saskia Reeves' Beatrice is on a par with that of Roberts, as indeed are the rest of the cast with their corresponding actors in the older set. The question remains as to whether one prefers Harrison's more comic approach or Samuel West's more masculine one. For me the touchstone has always been the "Kill Claudio" sequence after the abortive wedding. In the Caedmon set, the director allows (or instructs) Harrison to toss off his refusal so that all the dramatic tension is gone. Here the moment is treated somewhat better, although I still feel so much more could be made of it.

An interesting interpretation in this Arkangel set is that the singer of "Sigh no more ladies," for all his protests that he is a poor singer, actually IS one! In a way, it is a shame since the song is a lovely one (though not sung to the more familiar melody in this production); but this is a comic moment and they are priming Benedick for the Big Deception.

As I always suggest with these rival versions, every English and Drama Department should have both sets and let the students decide. But this is an excellent purchase, unless you love Rex!

Rating:
Summary: Arkangel recording quite a good one
Review: The recent Arkangel Shakespeare entry, , continues the consistently fine acting found in most of the sets in this series. Having as its only competition the CD and cassette re-release by Harper Collins Audio of the old Caedmon set with Rex Harrison and Rachel Roberts, this is a far better recording as regards sound and (I feel) a lot livelier acting that makes the lines easier to follow without a text open in one's hand.

Saskia Reeves' Beatrice is on a par with that of Roberts, as indeed are the rest of the cast with their corresponding actors in the older set. The question remains as to whether one prefers Harrison's more comic approach or Samuel West's more masculine one. For me the touchstone has always been the "Kill Claudio" sequence after the abortive wedding. In the Caedmon set, the director allows (or instructs) Harrison to toss off his refusal so that all the dramatic tension is gone. Here the moment is treated somewhat better, although I still feel so much more could be made of it.

An interesting interpretation in this Arkangel set is that the singer of "Sigh no more ladies," for all his protests that he is a poor singer, actually IS one! In a way, it is a shame since the song is a lovely one (though not sung to the more familiar melody in this production); but this is a comic moment and they are priming Benedick for the Big Deception.

As I always suggest with these rival versions, every English and Drama Department should have both sets and let the students decide. But this is an excellent purchase, unless you love Rex!