Photograph of a tableau arranged by John O'Connor (1830-1889) of two actresses performing in the roles of Hero and Ursula in Act 3 Scene 1 of Shakespeare's play Much Ado About Nothing. In the background a trompe l'oeil backdrop depicts a garden with classical urns, archways, trees and foliage. The two actresses are dressed in the fashion of Renaissance Italy and Ursula, Hero's personal attendant played by Miss Brett, stands on the left pondering the question: 'Are you sure Benedick loves Beatrice so well?'. Hero, played by Maude Charlotte Armytage (d. 1917) stands on the right wearing a pale coloured silk gown, decorated with a diamond pattern. She is wearing a headdress and carries a small black purse. She holds her right hand to her head in a thoughtful gesture. 

The play is set in sixteenth-century Messina, a port on the island of Sicily, and focusses on the tumultuous relationship between Beatrice, niece of nobleman Leonato, and Benedick, a soldier from Padua. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh acted as Royal patrons to the performances and with Princess Louise, viewed the performances at 21 Cromwell Street, home to the architect, Charles Freake (1814-84). The proceeds raised by the performances were donated to the National Orphan Home and the Victoria Hospital for Sick Children.