Full Cast Announced for RSC’s Much Ado About Nothing
The Royal Shakespeare Company has unveiled the full cast and creative team for its highly anticipated production of Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Michael Longhurst.
Running from 12 April to 24 May 2025 at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, this football-infused reimagining of Shakespeare’s classic comedy will explore scandal, rivalry, and romance in the high-stakes world of top-flight football.
Star-Studded Cast
The production boasts an impressive cast, led by:
Freema Agyeman (Doctor Who, New Amsterdam) as Beatrice, reimagined as a football correspondent
Nick Blood (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Euphoria) as Benedick, a star football player
Eleanor Worthington Cox (Matilda The Musical, The Enfield Haunting) as Hero
Daniel Adeosun (RSC debut) as Claudio
Completing the cast are:
Azan Ahmed as Conrade
Gina Bramhill as Margaret
Nick Cavaliere as Verges
Flaminia Cinque as Sexton/Ensemble
Peter Forbes as Leonato
Tanya Franks as Antonia
Lydia Fraser as Ursula/Ensemble
Olivier Huband as Don Pedro
Megan Keaveny as Ensemble
Nojan Khazai as Don John
Antonio Magro as Dogberry
Posi Morakinyo as Balthasar/Oatcake/Ensemble
Jay Taylor as Borachio
Arthur Wilson as Seacole/The Friar/Ensemble
A Football-Themed Shakespeare Adaptation
Director Michael Longhurst shared his enthusiasm for this bold new vision, stating:
“I’m thrilled to be directing for the RSC with such an incredible company of actors – a premier league of talent indeed! It’s an incredibly exciting time to be tackling this play as part of Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey’s second season.
Much Ado About Nothing is a story about love, but its exploration of masculinity, gender power dynamics, and scandal felt particularly relevant to a contemporary football setting, where “WAGs and players behaving badly” enact a *not-so-merry war.”
Longhurst also noted how exciting it is to welcome back Eleanor Worthington Cox to the RSC rehearsal room after her Olivier Award-winning turn as Matilda in Matilda The Musical at just 10 years old.
Creative Team
Bringing this football-themed Shakespearean comedy to life is an acclaimed creative team:
Set and Costume Designer: Jon Bausor (Bat Out of Hell, The Grinning Man)
Lighting Designer: Jack Knowles (The RSC’s Julius Caesar, A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
Sound Designer: Emma Laxton (Emilia, An Octoroon)
Choreographer & Movement Director: Julia Cheng (Cabaret, A Monster Calls)
Video Designer: Tal Rosner (The Lehman Trilogy, Evita)
Intimacy Director: Sara Green
Casting Director: Anna Cooper
Performance Details & Ticket Information
Venue: Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
Dates: 12 April – 24 May 2025
Tickets: Available via the RSC website
This exciting and modern interpretation of Much Ado About Nothing is set to be one of the standout theatre events of the year. Fans of Shakespeare and football alike won’t want to miss this high-energy, topical adaptation of one of the Bard’s greatest comedies.
Freema Agyeman (Doctor Who, New Amsterdam) as Beatrice, reimagined as a football correspondent
Nick Blood (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Euphoria) as Benedick, a star football player
Eleanor Worthington Cox (Matilda The Musical, The Enfield Haunting) as Hero
Daniel Adeosun (RSC debut) as Claudio
Completing the cast are:
Azan Ahmed as Conrade
Gina Bramhill as Margaret
Nick Cavaliere as Verges
Flaminia Cinque as Sexton/Ensemble
Peter Forbes as Leonato
Tanya Franks as Antonia
Lydia Fraser as Ursula/Ensemble
Olivier Huband as Don Pedro
Megan Keaveny as Ensemble
Nojan Khazai as Don John
Antonio Magro as Dogberry
Posi Morakinyo as Balthasar/Oatcake/Ensemble
Jay Taylor as Borachio
Arthur Wilson as Seacole/The Friar/Ensemble
A Football-Themed Shakespeare Adaptation
Director Michael Longhurst shared his enthusiasm for this bold new vision, stating:
“I’m thrilled to be directing for the RSC with such an incredible company of actors – a premier league of talent indeed! It’s an incredibly exciting time to be tackling this play as part of Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey’s second season.
Much Ado About Nothing is a story about love, but its exploration of masculinity, gender power dynamics, and scandal felt particularly relevant to a contemporary football setting, where “WAGs and players behaving badly” enact a *not-so-merry war.”
Longhurst also noted how exciting it is to welcome back Eleanor Worthington Cox to the RSC rehearsal room after her Olivier Award-winning turn as Matilda in Matilda The Musical at just 10 years old.
