Much Ado About Nothing

Lyrical Up-cycling

For the 2019 Shakespeare At The Tobacco Factory production of Much Ado About Nothing, I turned to some 16th and 17th lyrics as source material for some new songs. These would become the playlist to the lives of the characters.

Party-On

The Act 2 Scene 1 masked ball presents composers with as many creative opportunities as it does challenges. How, for example, do you maintain the party energy whilst allowing the vignettes between courting couples to be heard? What is the nature of the musical backdrop to the dancing? Shakespeare simply specifies:

‘Enter Prince Don Pedro, Claudio, and Benedick, and Don John, and Borachio as maskers, with a Drum’.

This 2019 STF production was set firmly in 2019 and the music I composed for the production is intended locate us in a contemporary sound-world. I sourced text from various 17th century songs, or madrigals, that seemed to reflect some of the main themes of Much Ado, themes that still resonate with us today. This colourful and emotive lyrics deserved fresh, modern musical clothing. These songs became the musical backdrop to the masked ball. They were, for the characters, the party playlist that best fitted the world of the play, both in its themes and language.

“What is Our Life?”

First up, a poem by Sir Walter Raleigh, and originally set to music by Orlando Gibbons. In the contemporary world of our play, this is that hands in the air, feel good, letting everything go, party anthem. The vocals were sung and accompanied live by the wonderful Bethan Mary-James.

WHAT is our life? The play of passion.
Our mirth? The music of division:
Our mothers’ wombs the tiring-houses be,
Where we are dressed for life’s short comedy.

Sir Walter Raleigh (1554-1618)

There is a sudden switch in the music where it seems to continue but in another room. This was the sound design trick that I employed allowing the energy of the party to continue whilst still being able to hear the dialogue on top. This device is used throughout the masked ball.

“Strike It Up, Tabor!”

A definite nod to mid 90s hip-hop/RnB can be heard in the second track. Again, these 17th century lyrics come from a madrigal (by Thomas Weelkes). It was the percussive, aggressive and almost rap-like nature of the words that seemed to make them ideal candidates for this musical style.

Strike it up, Tabor, And pipe us a favour!
Thou shalt be well-paid for thy labour.
I mean to spend my shoe-sole
To dance about the may-pole!
I will be blithe and brisk,
Leap and skip, Hop and trip….
…Lusty Dick Hopkin,
Lay on with thy napkin,
The stitching cost me but a dodkin…
…O well said, jigging A’lce!
Pretty Jill, Stand you still!
Dapper Jack, Means to smack.
How now? You dance false.

Thomas Weelkes (1576-1623)

The vocals were laid down by some of the male members of the cast, the brilliant Zachary Powell, Alex Wilson, Imran Momen and Christopher Bianchi.

An instrumental break formed the 3rd dance sequence, inspired by Arctic Monkeys, The Killers and other bands in that vein. This is the frantic, pumping, alcohol fuelled crush, with a feeling that the inevitable crash is just around the corner.

“Oyez! Has Any Found A Lad?”

No party would be complete without the awkward slow dance medley, and in our version this also became the Karaoke number, sung brilliantly by Louise Mai Newberry (Dogberry). Although the original cut featured all of this madrigal’s text, the final version just uses the first line.

Oyez! Has any found a lad,
with purple wings fair painted,
in naked beauty clad,
with bow and arrows tainted?
Here, alas! Here, close he lieth,
take him quick before he flieth.

Thomas Tomkins (1572-1656)

“Pardon, Goddess of the night”

The Act 5 Scene 3 vigil for Hero, which sees Claudio’s atoning for his perceived role in her death, has the famous text “Pardon, Goddess of the night” as its centrepiece. Finding the appropriate musical language for this moment involved exploring the world of hymns, such as the characters in the real world of the play might sing at a moment like this. Needing to sound spontaneous, honest and nature, I ended up setting the text to the tune ‘Eventide’, otherwise known as ‘Abide With Me’.

Brother & Sister In Arms

A short prologue, devised by the company, portrays a sequence of events where Don John (Georgia Frost) is disgraced and demoted by her brother Don Pedro (Zachary Powell), and the young Claudio (Imran Momen) is honoured. To a sonic backdrop of comms and confusion we are aware of powerful events having taken place in the off-stage, past world of our play.

The Sounds of Messina

Our play’s sound-world goes on a journey of transformation, from the naturalistic mid-summer ambience of modern day Messina, becoming heightened and stylised as events spiral out of control and lives become changed. Comprising geographically accurate sounds and recordings, the elements morph as the play’s world enters some kind of hinterland.