Cast Announced for MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING at Shakespeare's Globe

Shakespeare's Globe has announced the cast and company for Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Lucy Bailey. This will be performed by the Globe Ensemble who will be returning for The Tempest on 22 July.

In the aftermath of a fierce conflict, soldier Claudio finds himself on the frontline of a different fight: for the love of Hero. His friend Benedick, on the other hand, is willing to do everything he can to evade affection and meets his match in Beatrice.

Shakespeare's battle of the sexes is reignited this Summer with a riotous new production of Much Ado About Nothing in The Globe Theatre running 22 April - 23 October.

Lucy Bailey returns to the Globe after directing the seminal production of Titus Andronicus (2014) as well as Macbeth (2010), Timon of Athens (2008), As You Like It (1998), The Maid's Tragedy (1997), and Comus for the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse (2016). Lucy co-founded and was the Co-Artistic Director of The Print Room. She recently directed Oleanna (Bath Ustinov/West End), Gas Light (UK Tour), Ghosts (Royal & Derngate Northampton); and Witness for the Prosecution (currently running at London County Hall). Much Ado About Nothing is designed by Joanna Parker and the Assistant Director / Dramaturg is Clemmie Reynolds.

The Globe Ensemble:

Peter Bourke will play Conrade and Friar. Peter recently performed in the Winter Season production of Hamlet and the 2021 Summer Season productions of Twelfth Night and A Midsummer Night's Dream - a role he reprised from 2019. Other theatre credits include The Sea (Chichester); The English Game (Headlong); Henry IV Parts I and II, Henry V, Perkin Warbeck (RSC) and The Browning Version & Harlequinade, The Elephant Man, The Provoked Wife and On the Razzle (National Theatre).

Rachel Hannah Clarke will play Margaret and Watchman. Rachel Hannah recently performed in the Winter Season production of Hamlet and the 2021 Summer Season productions of Twelfth Night and A Midsummer Night's Dream - a role she reprised from 2019. Other credits include: You Remember? (Royal Court); Queens of Sheba - Winner of The Stage Award (Vaults Festival / New Diorama Theatre / Underbelly / Camden People's Theatre); Hatch (Talawa Theatre Company), and Best Friends (Ovalhouse).

Ralph Davis will play Benedick. Ralph has previously performed at Shakespeare's Globe in King Lear, 2017. Other theatre credits include: Blue / Orange (Theatre Royal Bath), Valued Friends (Rose Theatre), The Deep Blue Sea (Chichester Festival Theatre), Tamburlaine / Timon of Athens, King John and Richard III (RSC), The Open House (Ustinov Theatre, Bath / The Print Room). TV and Radio credits include: SAS: Rogue Heroes (BBC), Father Brown, Life After Life, Small Axe, Lethal White (BBC), Anatomy of a Scandal (Netflix) and For The Temple (Heirloom Audio USA), The Good Terrorist and Ambridge EXTRA (BBC Radio 4).

George Fouracres will play Dogberry. George recently performed in the Winter Season production of Hamlet and the 2021 Summer Season productions of Twelfth Night and A Midsummer Night's Dream and is a member of critically acclaimed sketch trio Daphne. Other credits include Gentlemon (Fight in the Dog); A Midsummer Night's Dream (Filter Theatre/Lyric Hammersmith); Doctor Faustus (Dot by Dot Theatre); Daphne's Second Show and Daphne Do Edinburgh (Edinburgh Festival).

Joanne Howarth will play Antonia and Verges. Joanne has previously performed at Shakespeare's Globe in Nell Gwynn in 2017 and Much Ado About Nothing in 2014. Other theatre credits include: Our Lady of Blundellsands (Liverpool Everyman), Witness for the Prosecution (West End), Parliament Square, You Can't Take It With You (Manchester Royal Exchange / Bush), King Lear (Old Vic), Goodnight Mr Tom (West End/Tour), Bingo (Chichester / Young Vic), The Comedy of Errors, Twelfth Night, Faust, The Alchemist, The Virtuoso, 'Tis Pity She's a Whore and Julius Caesar (RSC). TV credits include: It's a Sin (Channel 4), Wallander (Left Bank Pictures / Yellow Bird Films), EastEnders, Doctors, Grange Hill (BBC), and The Bill (Talkback Thames).

Olivier Huband will play Don John. Olivier most recently performed opposite Kit Harington in Henry V at The Donmar Warehouse. Other theatre credits include: Barefoot in the Park (Pitlochry Festival Theatre), Such Filthy F*cks (Pleasance) and An Enemy of the People (Playground). TV and Film credits include: This Sceptred Isle (Revolution Films), Becoming Elizabeth (Revolution Films), A Discovery of Witches and I Hate Suzie (Bad Wolf), and Mission Impossible: Fallout (Bad Robot).

Nadi Kemp-Sayfi will play Hero. Nadi recently performed in the Winter Season production of Hamlet and the 2021 Summer Season productions of Twelfth Night and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Other credits include The Whip, A Museum in Baghdad, King John (RSC); War with the Newts (Knaïve Theatre); Wake, Mittwoch Aus Licht, Life is a Dream (Birmingham Opera Company); 101 Dalmatians, Between The Two, Three Wheels on the Wagon, The Witches' Promise, Under The Stars (Birmingham Rep), and Hijabi Monologues (The Bush Theatre).

Ciarán O'Brien will play Boracio and Messenger. Ciarán recently performed in the Winter Season production of Hamlet and the 2021 Summer Season productions of Twelfth Night and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Other credits include: Maz and Bricks - Best Actor at New York Origin Theatre Awards (Fishamble/59E59 Theatre and Edinburgh Fringe); The Plough and the Stars (Lyric Hammersmith/ Abbey Theatre); The Playboy of the Western World, Orson's Shadow (Southwark Playhouse); Of Mice and Men (Birmingham Rep); Translations (The Rose Theatre/Sheffield Crucible/ETT). TV and Film credits include: Misfits (Clerkenwell Films/ Channel 4), Ripper Street (BBC), The Tudors (USA Showtime), Hunted (Savage Productions), and Bloom (Odyssey Pictures).

Patrick Osborne will play Claudio. Patrick's previous theatre credts include The Comedy of Errors (RSC / Barbican), Shakespeare In Love (Noel Coward Theatre), Peter Pan (Regents Park Theatre), Noises Off (Nottingham Playhouse and Tour), The Cardinal (Southwark Playhouse), Accolade and After October (Finborough Theatre). Film and TV credits include: Good Times Rolled Out (quarantine), Turner (BBC), The Borgias (Showtime) and My Parents are Aliens (ITV), Lady of Heaven (Enlightened Kingdom), and Their Finest (Number 9 Films / Wildgaze Films).

Lucy Phelps will play Beatrice. Lucy's previous theatre credits include: Measure for Measure, As You Like It, Dido Queen of Carthage, Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra (RSC), Witness for the Prosecution (Eleanor Lloyd Productions), King Charles III (Almeida - UK And Australia Tour), Sex and the Three-Day Week (Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse Theatres); Viva Forever! (West End / Judy Craymer Productions), Earthquakes in London (Headlong / The National Theatre). TV and Film credits include: Di Ray and Grace (ITV), The Chelsea Detective (Expectation), Silent Witness, Call the Midwife, Holby City (BBC), and Skins (Company Pictures / E4).

Ferdy Roberts will play Don Pedro. Ferdy's previous theatre credits include: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Filter's 12th Night, Macbeth, Water, Silence, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Faster (Filter Theatre), Girl From The North Country (Old Vic/Runaway Productions), Fatherland (Frantic Assembly), Plaques & Tangles, If You Don't Let Us Dream, We Won't Let You Sleep, Playing The victim (Royal Court), Lampedusa (Soho Theatre), Shakespeare in Love (Noel Coward Theatre), Three Kingdoms Three Sisters (Lyric Hammersmith). TV and Film credits include: Dark Angel (World Productions), Foyles War, Mr High (ITV), What You Will (Fluidity Film/Filter), Mr Nice (Hindsight Media), Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll (Aegis Film), & Honest (Honest Productions).

Katy Stephens will play Leonata. Katy has previously performed at Shakespeare's Globe in The Oresteia in 2015, Thomas Tallis in 2014, Julius Caesar in 2014, Dr. Scroggy's War in 2014 and The Complete Walk. Other theatre credits include: Coriolanus (Sheffield Crucible), Antony and Cleopatra (National Theatre), The Histories Cycle, As You Like It, Antony and Cleopatra, King Lear, Titus Andronicus, Candide, The Grain Store, Taming of the Shrew (Royal Shakespeare Company - Katie won the What's on Stage Award for Best Actress in 2009 in The Histories Cycle, the production also won the Olivier Award for Best Ensemble Performance), The Memory of Water (Nottingham Playhouse), Othello (English Touring Theatre), and Intelligent Homosexual's Guide (Hampstead). Katy also runs Bold As Bard with Ego Performance Company in Coventry, a Shakespeare Theatre Company for adults with learning disabilities.

The company:

Lucy Bailey - Director
Joanna Parker - Designer
Orlando Gough - Composer
Clemmie Reynolds - Assistant Director and Dramaturg
Georgina Lamb - Choreographer
Caroline Hughes - Costume Supervisor
Renny Krupinski - Fight Director
Tess Dignan - Head of Voice
Christine Schmidle - Text Associciate

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