Meet The Much Ado About Nothing Cast: Jon Trenchard


Today's interview is with the baddie of our play. We spoke to Jon Trenchard and you can check out what he has to say below:


SGT: Stafford Festival Shakespeare is one of the largest open air Shakespeare events in Europe, what are you looking forward to this year?

JT: Beautiful weather!

Jon Trenchard

SGT: What made you want to be involved?

JT: My career to date has been playing young cheeky chappy or nervous roles (like Slender in Merry Wives here at SFS in 2010), so this is a rare new and exciting challenge to play a villain! I reckon I'm quite friendly in real life so it'll be fun to let my dark side out...



SGT: What made you want to perform with SFS again?

JT: Merry Wives was so much fun, Pete and Greg find lovely people to work with and create a great rehearsal atmosphere, and the castle at Stafford is a picturesque location. Good company, good fun and a stunning setting. Anyone would want to come back!


SGT: The event takes place in a very unique setting, have you performed in the grounds of a castle or any other unusual setting before?

JT: With all-male Shakespeare company propeller I've performed all over the world - a Roman Amphitheatre in Verona, a reconstructed Globe Theatre in Germany, and inside Elsinore Castle in Demark, but its good to be closer to home.

SGT: Could you tell us who you’re playing and a little bit about that character?

JT: I'm playing a bastard: Don John! He is the illegitimate brother of Don Pedro who has the highest status in the play. He has offended his brother but they reconciled – tentatively. Because of his illegitimacy and this offence, he is a social outcast, and depressed about being rejected by most people. So he wants to play tricks on people for revenge.



SGT: What do you think your character brings to the play?

 JT: Don John's malevolence drives the main troubles and drama of the play. But he is quite a passive villain: he cowardly runs away before seeing the effects of his plotting. He also provides contrast with the loquacity of Beatrice and Benedick as he is “not of many words”. In our 1919 setting, he might have been discharged from the army for cowardice muting or insubordination.



SGT: What do you love most about Much Ado About Nothing as a play?

JT: The witty banter of Beatrice and Benedick. Shakespeare's use of language is so intricate and fun, It's such a shame we aren't as witty as him anymore!

SGT: What do you think the audience will enjoy most about this year’s production and setting?

JT: The castle setting is always lovely but this year's set design in 1919- will be particularly superb. We also have great Edwardian and 20s dresses for the girls and period uniforms for the guys, I think it's going to look stunning! We'll also have lots of war-time songs too.