This symposium welcomes papers on Much Ado About Nothing in performance, on stage (professional or amateur productions, or anything in between) and on film (be it filmed theatre, or versions specifically made for the big or small screen). The hope is for a wide range of Much Ado-related topics; papers may, for instance, concentrate on a particular production or explore general performance practices; they may deal with appropriations and adaptations of the play in performance, or look at the extent to which productions choose to explore the shades of light and darkness in the play, dark comedy meeting near-tragedy, and how the merry war of the sexes is interwoven with more sinister elements such as jealousy and gender warfare.

The symposium will be preceded by an afternoon workshop on teaching Shakespeare’s plays through performance in secondary and tertiary education. The symposium will also include an outdoor performance of Much Ado About Nothing (abridged), played in English by university students (directed by Kiki Lindell).