Northern Broadsides and New Vic Theatre have announced the full casting for the upcoming tour of Much Ado About Nothing. Shakespeare’s classic romantic comedy is a really delightful play, relying heavily on the connection between the characters.
So who can we expect to see starring in the show? The production’s cast will feature Richard J Fletcher (Oh What A Lovely War, Oldham Coliseum) as Don John; Rachel Hammond (Babe: The Sheep Pig) as Ursula; Sophia Hatfield (When We Were Married, Northern Broadsides) as Margaret; Anthony Hunt (The Commitments, West End and Hard Times, Northern Broadsides) as Borachio; Sarah Kameela Impey (The Tempest, RSC and Pinocchio, National Theatre) as Hero; Linford Johnson (The Rise And Fall Of Little Voice, Park Theatre, War Horse, National Theatre and Showboat, Sheffield Crucible) as Claudio; James McClean (New Tricks, Bolton Octagon) as Messenger; Isobel Middleton (Anna Tregorran in The Archers, BBC Radio 4, Emmerdale and Cracker, ITV and Eric, Ernie and EastEnders, BBC) as Beatrice; David Nellist (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and War Horse, National Theatre and Sherlock, BBC) as Dogberry; Heather Phoenix ( The Rivals, Theatre by the Lake) as Conrade: Matt Rixon (Hairspray, UK Tour and Around The World In 80 Days, New Vic/Royal Exchange) as Don Pedro; Robin Simpson (Midsummer Night’s Dream and Macbeth, Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre) as Benedick, Simeon Truby (The Pitman Painters, New Vic Theatre) as Leonato; Robert Wade (Cyrano, Northern Broadsides) as Balthazar and Andrew Whitehead (An August Bank Holiday Lark, Northern Broadsides) as Antonio/Friar.
Phew!
With such a strong cast and creative team ( Northern Broadsides’ Artistic Director Conrad Nelson is directing the show), it’s going to be a cracking adaptation.
The past few Northern Broadsides shows haven’t really hit the spot for me, but I always love the company’s interpretation of Shakespeare. Whether you’re a fan of The Bard or a complete newbie, seeing a Northern Broadsides Shakespeare piece is sure to ignite your love for the playwright.
Catch the show when it hits York Theatre Royal in May – for more information see the Northern Broadsides website.
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