Backround History of the Play

[coffee]

Does anyone know any significant backround history on Much Ado About Nothing or at least where I could possibly locate it?

Such as what inspired Shakespeare, when was the opening night of the play, how long it was shown in the theater, public reaction, ect. ect.?

Any help would be very much appreciated :)

[kingleo]

Are you looking for something that would require a citation or just a general overview of that kind of thing?

As just a general overview gleaned from The Riverside Shakespeare, the general plot dates back to ancient Greece and Shakespeare most likely gleaned various plot elements from various retellings of the story and was written/performed sometime in 1598 or 1599. Opening night would almost certainly have been opening day, but that's about as specific as you can get with Shakespeare (with the exception of the memorable debut of Henry VIII).