Lighting

During the 17th century when Shakespeare wrote Much Ado About Nothing, there wasn't any electricity. Therefore, theatres had to be creative about how they lit the performances.Many productions would have performances during the day in order to use the sun as a means of lighting the stage. This worked well for the outdoor theatre spaces, and many of the indoor theatres had large windows that allowed the sun light to illuminate the stage. However, sometimes the sun would not be enough light, or it would be setting at an earlier time than the performance would take place. This issue was resolved with candles and torches. Candles would be placed throughout the theatre space, especially on or around the stage, and the actors would carry torches and candles during what was supposed to be "night scenes." By carrying a candle or a torch, the characters would be illuminating the stage and also showing the audience what time of the day the scene was taking place.

1655 German Stage, notice the candles used for lighting hanging around the stage.

Several times throughout the play, Much Ado About Nothing, the characters meet at night to scheme or meet in secret. In order to show these scenes, the actors would have been most likely carrying torches or candles during the scene, even if the performance was during the day.

"17th Century Images and Notes." Helicon in Cockaigne - Kate Brown's Site for Baroque Opera, Contemporary Opera, Lady Hamilton's Attitudes, and Santa Maria Paraguay. Web. 02 Mar. 2011. <http://www.cockaigne.org.uk/research/17thCent.html>.

Dutton, Richard. The Oxford Handbook of Early Modern Theatre. Oxford [u.a.: Oxford Univ., 2009. Print.