Either take an umbrella or say a prayer if you are minded to go to Paper Zoo's production of Much Ado About Nothing next week.

The valiant cast are hoping to perform half of Shakespeare's comic romance in the grounds of Bradford Cathedral - very nice too, with views over the city - and the other half inside the Cathedral.

With the weather the way it's been, they might have to do the lot inside the building.

"You wouldn't think the sky's got any more rain in it," commented Ben Eagle, who has been enjoying rehearsing his part as grouchy bachelor Benedick. During the day he works in the film department of the National Media Museum.

In the past couple of years he has taken part in an adaptation of A Christmas Carol, Waiting For Godot, Twelfth Night and Joe Orton's last play Funeral Games.

Paper Zoo are doing Funeral Games again this September at the Yorkshire Craft Centre, near Bradford University, and Halifax's Square Chapel for the Arts.

That's a more than creditable record for a newly-formed amateur group.

"Amateur is a pretty horrible word, but I suppose it means anyone who isn't acting as a full-time job. I think we all want to be as good as professionals," said Ben. "So much effort goes into it. We pretty much rehearse every night. It's run for passion and enthusiasm," he added, referring to Paper Zoo.

He and the other core members of the cast met on an acting course at Bradford College. The name of the company derives from the final devised piece they did at college.

"It's pretty much made up of four graduates from the course, three tutors, a company manager and associate members we can call upon whenever we want," said Ben.

The cast for Much Ado requires 17 players, four of them from the same family. Damien O' Keeffee, a lecturer in performing arts at Bradford College, directs. His wife Julia is playing Beatrice, Benedick's female counterpart. Son Declan and daughter Ellen have small parts in the play.

A quartet of singers from Bradford Cathedral Choir will be singing during the wedding scene and when Caludio sings a lament for Hero, whom he mistakenly thinks is dead.

But how did the venerable Cathedral come to be chosen as a venue for Shakespeare?

Damien O'Keeffe said: "My son Declan is a chorister. When we did Twelfth Night a couple of the clergy came along and enjoyed it. They were keen for us to do something in the Cathedral."

The plot is pretty well known following Kenneth Branagh's lavish movie version.

Don Pedro and his soldiers are welcomed home from war by Leonato, the Governor of Messina. His hospitality is offered for a month.

During this time Claudio, one of Don Pedro's men, falls in love with Hero, the Governor's daughter. To pass the time before the wedding, Don Pedro, Claudio and Leonato devise a scheme to marry off Beatrice and Benedick.

The battles of wit between these two is one of the highlights of the play. They both adore one another but would never dream of admitting it.

While all this merry and amusing romance is going on, Don John, Don Pedro's evil stepbrother, conspires to spoil the celebrations by accusing Hero of infidelity.

The play is set in the 1920s and includes, I am told, a performance of the Charleston. Damien explained why that period was chosen as opposed to, say, the 1940s.

"We had set Twelfth Night in the late 1940s partly because it was about soldiers returning home from war, and there was such a wealth of dance band music. So for Much Ado we chose the end of the First World War as a backdrop. The soldiers returning from battle also explains the haste of the two marriages."

Let's hope it doesn't rain on the play. However, if the heavens do open, Damien will move the play inside the Cathedral which has an audience capacity for 700.

  • Paper Zoo's two-hour production of Much Ado About Nothing is due to run at Bradford Cathedral from July 10 to 12, starting at 7pm. Tickets on the door or from Bradford Cathedral on (01274) 777720.