The full cast for Jamie Lloyd's production of Much Ado About Nothing at Theatre Royal Drury Lane has been announced. Lloyd’s interpretation of William Shakespeare’s famous comedy is set to star Tom Hiddleston as Benedick and Hayley Atwell as Beatrice.
Performances begin on 10 February following the 1 February final performance of The Tempest starring Sigourney Weaver, and will run until 5 April at the West End venue. Hiddleston and Atwell are joined by a cast of returning talent, currently starring in The Tempest. Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre Scotland associate artist Forbes Masson takes the role of Leonato, with Birmingham Conservatoire alumnus Mara Huf playing his daughter Hero.
Phillip Olagoke returns to the Jamie Lloyd Company as Friar Francis after his performance in Lloyd’s Romeo & Juliet at Duke of York’s Theatre last summer, while Mason Alexander Park plays Margaret, Bridgerton alum James Phoon plays Claudio and Tim Steed (The Crown, A Very British Scandal, Wolf Hall, Twenty Twelve, Brexit: The Uncivil War, Fresh Meat, Peep Show, Maigret) takes the role of Don John. The returning cast is completed by Mika Onyx Johnson (Borachio) and Gerald Kyd (Don Pedro) who both starred in Jamie Lloyd’s The Seagull at the Harold Pinter theatre in 2022.
The creative team for the new production includes lighting designer Jon Clark, sound designers and composers Ben and Max Ringham, set and costume designer Soutra Gilmour, wigs, hair and make-up designer Carole Hancock, associate director and text editor Jonathan Glew, movement director Fabian Aloise, intimacy coordinator Ingrid Mackinnon and assistant director Cory Hippolyte.