Nothing Much to Do

Nothing Much to Do is a modern adaptation of Shakespeare's comedy Much Ado About Nothing. The story is set in a New Zealand high school and told from various points of view using a video blog format.^[1] The series was inspired by another literary web series, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries,^[2] and developed by the Candle Wasters,^[3] a creative team made up of four young women from New Zealand.

Plot Summary

Nothing Much to Do follows Beatrice Duke as she moves to Auckland to stay with her cousins, Hero and Leo, while her parents are away in Australia. In this modern adaptation, characters are cleverly re-fashioned into high school students: Don Pedro becomes student leader Pedro Donaldson, maids Margaret and Ursula become friends of Hero and Bea, Claudio is a football player rather than a soldier. Beatrice's channel, Nothing Much to Do,^[4] tells the series of events from Bea and Hero's point of view. Other channels, such as Ben's^[5] and Ursula's^[6] offer different perspectives on what's happening through the eyes and cameras of Ben, Ursula, Dogberry and Verges.

Just like in Shakespeare's version, the story follows two different romantic plots: the relationship of Hero and Claudio, and the elaborate prank of getting Beatrice and Benedick to admit their feelings for one another. But in this modern retelling, the creators use new forms of social media storytelling, like vlog^[7] formats such as room tours and Q&A videos,^[8] to help advance the plot. Drawing inspiration from the tumblr generation, the videos address social justice issues like slut-shaming and social norms while the characters make pop-culture references, listen to Beyoncé, watch Doctor Who and Game of Thrones.^[9]

References