Much Ado about Nothing has always been popular on the stage. This
edition pays especial attention to the history and range of theatrical
interpretation, in which famous actors, from the time of Garrick to the
present, have appeared as the sparring lovers Benedick and Beatrice. A
full commentary includes annotation of the many sexual jokes in the play
that have been obscured by the complexity of Elizabethan language. In
this new edition, Travis D. Williams reviews recent stage, television,
film and critical interpretations of the play, considering treatment of
the play's special interest in language, bodies and gender.