Much Ado About Nothing

'When I said I would die a bachelor, I did not think I should live till I were married'

Beatrice and Benedick both claim they are determined never to marry. But when their friends trick them into believing that each harbours secret feelings for the other, the pair begin to question whether their witty banter and verbal sparring conceals something deeper. Schemes abound, misunderstandings proliferate and matches are eventually made in this dazzling, dark-edged comedy of mature love and second chances.

'He was not of an age, but for all time.' Ben Jonson

General Introduction by Stanley Wells
Edited by R. A. Foakes
Introduction by Janette Dillon