Theater News

London’s Open Air Theatre Announces Much Ado About Nothing and Hello, Dolly! Casts

London’s Open Air Theatre has announced casting for artistic director Timothy Sheader’s own production of Shakespeare’s comedy Much Ado About Nothing, to run May 25-June 7 and Hello Dolly, to run July 30-September 12.

Much Ado will star Samantha Spiro and Sean Campion as Beatrice and Benedick, alongside Simon Gregor, Tim Howar, Sarah Ingram, Nigel Cooke, Mark McGee, Peter Bramhill, Silas Carson, Eke Chukwu, Chris Jared, Ben Mansfield, Harry Myers, Anthony O’Donnell, Anneika Rose, Annalisa Rossi, Tim Steed, Kate Tydman, and David Whitworth.

It will be followed by a new adaptation of The Tempest, re-imagined for children (June 5-28), directed by choreographer Liam Steel and featuring Joseph Mydell as Prospero and rina Brown’s production of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance Of Being Earnest (July 3-25).

The season will conclude with a new production of Jerry Herman’s award-winning musical starring Spiro, and featuring choreography by Stephen Mear. The cast will also feature Mark Anderson (as Ambrose Kemper), Ian Bartholomew (Horace Vandergelder), Oliver Brenin (Barnaby Tucker), Clare Louise Connolly (Ermengarde), Daniel Crossley (Cornelius Hackl), Josefina Gabrielle (Irene Molloy), Akiya Henry (Minnie Fay), Andy Hockley (Rudolph), Annalisa Rossi (Ernestina), Mark Antonlin, Rachael Archer, Kevin Brewis, Francis Haugen, Joanna Goodwin, Paul Iveson, Jo Morris, Brenda Jane Newhouse, Richard Jones, Stuart King, Sherrie Pennington, Carl Sanderson, Emily Shaw, John Stacey, and Craig Turne.

For more information, visit www.whatsonstage.com.