Much Ado About Nothing - John Lenegan monologue

[mrzeero]

Overall good job.

[mrzeero]

Also review your prepositions!!

[mrzeero]

I don't believe him.

[JLongg]

Its good that you understand the text but your tempo rythem is out of whack. You need to work from the inside. Cut ninety percent. cut out those un necessary gestures. Your character is too contemporary.

[rncampbell1992]

how how how?? the greatness about Shakespeare is that it can be interpreted to be modern or old and how he translated this piece of text for me was really good, and believable, just because hes not speaking out of his nose does not make it contemporary!

[PostMortem85]

Gaudete....you are commenting and being so critical of this performance (which by the way, I thought was great) when you have plenty of videos on your website with the worst broken Shakespeare i've ever seen... Have you even heard of Iambic pentameter?

[swannavon]

Well done. I find it so bizarre that people would compare your work here to Branagh's. So silly, really. I think it's more a reflection of the viewer's lack of imagination rather than reflecting on anything you're doing. I think you make Benedick your own here. You clearly know what you're saying, and inhabit it as Benedick. I wouldn't pay any mind to gaudete's comments. I just viewed a video on her page, and it was some of the worst amateurish acting I've seen in ages. .

[LifeIsBeautiful101]

so great reading..

but i wish you write the text too, so those who English is their 2nd language, like me, can understand it more :)

peace,

LIB101

[archnemesis7]

such undeniable talent, ability and raw emotion -

[lenegan]

I have played Benedick and I did my homework I can assure you. I have thought long and hard about 'Who Benedick' is, allot of people saw this in my performance,evidently not you. Cant please everyone!

[lenegan]

Point taken about the i mean bit. I did this speech initially before I'd seen Brannaghs version so not imitating, we evidently just see Benedick in the same light.

[gaudete]

Not too bad.  However, be careful of imitating Branaugh's inflections, pauses - even his breath and his cuts at the end of the monologue (the original has "noble, or not I for an angel" before "of good discourse" etc.). Also, be careful of adding in your own bits: "I mean" etc. You can keep your chatty tone without changing the text (and for soliloquies, you really oughtn't add to the text).

[gaudete]

Lastly, it would be really good for you to consider *who* Benedick is. You spoke and delivered the speech well enough, but without a feeling for how Benedick is - the entire time - thinking and loving and wrestling and cherishing Beatrice. Be more specific with your choices. A scene comes from the whole.

[musicw8832]

This video offers me all I need to know about John's rightful position to give critical comment on the performances of others. It's a question of stature and he has it.

[fznbaritone]

If you do not yet know, i'm only in high school, but i've learned a lot! Do you know those scenes that make your ears bleed and your eyes begin to swell because it's soooooo bad? THANK GOD this is not one of them. Have you seen the Kenneth Branagh version of Much Ado? Your style is like his, which is neat to see. Very well done!

[DaveMcDevitt]

I am not the best at making comments...so, that was f***ing great. I watched Henry V before I watched this one. Completely different characters and you did them both very well.