Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

Benedick and Beatrice have always despised each other. Every time they meet insults fly and tempers flame, while their friends listen with worry. However, as a challenge some of their friends decide to do a little matchmaking, and see if they can bring an end to this "merry war." But a pair of innocent lovers, Hero and Claudio, get caught in the tangle of lies, tricks and disguises, giving a villain a chance to split them.

An excellent and amusing comedy! The swift bickering and not-so-subtle insults are well-done, not heavy-handed. It is a very approachable Shakespeare story, and there is less slang then many, so it is a good intro for someone interested in reading Shakespeare. It is also quite short, the play itself is less than a hundred pages.

I also recommend the movie version with Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson, it captures the feel of the story nearly perfectly.

5 Stars
 
Emme