The National Theatre Live series of broadcasts begins at the Peterborough Players, 55 Hadley Road in Peterborough, Saturday, Nov. 19, at 1 p.m., with a screening of Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing.”
“Much Ado About Nothing” is a comedy exploring themes of love, marriage, deception, and revenge. It follows the antics of two couples, one of whom is happily in love, the other adamantly single and at odds with romance. The legendary family run Hotel Messina on the Italian Riviera has been visited by artists, celebrities and royalty. But when the owner’s daughter weds a dashing young soldier, not all guests are in the mood for love. A string of scandalous deceptions soon surrounds not only the young couple, but also the adamantly single Beatrice and Benedick.
The play is about worlds colliding across the social hierarchy, the sexes, generations and cultures. It’s also about direction and misdirection, hearing and mishearing, romance and resentment and the difference between literary wooing and real-life relationships. The cast includes Katherine Parkinson (“The IT Crowd”) and stage actor John Heffernan.
Curtain time for “Much Ado About Nothing” on Nov. 19 is 1 p.m.. All National Theatre Live tickets are $20 and are available on the Players’ website, peterboroughplayers.org, or by calling the box office at 603-924-7585. Box office hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.