Dinner is served in the garden with three women accordionists setting the celebratory atmosphere.  Beatrice explains why she chooses to remain unmarried pointing to a man in the Pit who she likens “to a clod”.  Her railing against men is illustrated with multiple gestures. 

For the ball after dinner, the party dons wicker animal head masks and a furious stamping dance thrills, the wicker heads well disguising the wearers.  Don Pedro has to negotiate a marriage between Claudio and Hero.  In disguise, Benedick talks to Beatrice.  We know what a great comic actor Ferdy Roberts is, but the wit of Don Pedro undoing his pony tail, so his hair falls as full romantic hero, and preening himself to flirt with Beatrice is a real treat. 

It is the scenes when Benedick is tricked into overhearing that Beatrice has fallen for him that are the best comedy in all of Shakespeare and in Lucy Bailey’s hands this is superlative pleasure.  As Benedick tries to listen unobserved he gets into the shape of the wheelbarrow in order to crawl behind it and climbs up the creeper, narrowly escaping Antonia’s clipping shears.  He later seeks refuge in a pot that held a cedar tree making the Globe Pit resound with laughter.

Beatrice too has to overhear how smitten Benedick is with her so the deception can change the attitude of these two against marriage.  The happy result is Benedick looking soppy in a dressing gown and Beatrice similarly infatuated.