BBC radio has a unique heritage when it comes to Shakespeare. Since 1923. when the newly formed company broadcast its first full-length play, generations of actors and producers have honed and perfected the craft of making Shakespeare to be heard.

In Much Ado, the clarity of radio allows the wonderful verbal sparring between Beatrice and Benedick to sparkle, as high comedy and melodrama mix magically in a combination of prose and verse.

The play is introduced by Richard Eyre, former Director of the Royal National Theatre, and the accompanying booklet includes a scene-by-scene synopsis, full character analysis, brief biographies of the leading actors and of Shakespeare himself, as well as an essay from the producer on their interpretation of the play.

Revitalised, original and comprehensive, this is Shakespeare for the new millennium.