The Jamie Lloyd Company today announces the full cast for William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing at Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Directed by Jamie Lloyd, the production opens on Wednesday 19 February, with previews from 10 February, and runs until 5 April 2025.
Tom Hiddleston (Benedick) and Hayley Atwell (Beatrice) are joined by Mara Huf (Hero), Forbes Masson (Leonato), Phillip Olagoke (Friar Francis), Mason Alexander Park(Margaret), James Phoon (Claudio) and Tim Steed (Don John), currently starring in The Tempest, and Mika Onyx Johnson (Borachio) and Gerald Kyd (Don Pedro).
The Jamie Lloyd Company also continues its commitment to accessibility, with 25,000 tickets offered at £25 across the season exclusively for under 30s, key workers and those receiving government benefits. These tickets are available across the first three levels of the theatre. For Much Ado About Nothing tickets will go on sale at a later date with further information to be announced.
Much Ado About Nothing is the second production in The Jamie Lloyd Company’s seasonof Shakespeare at Theatre Royal Drury Lane which opened with The Tempest starring Sigourney Weaver, currently running until 1 February 2025.
The Jamie Lloyd Company presents
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Jamie Lloyd
Set and Costume Designer: Soutra Gilmour; Lighting Designer: Jon Clark; Sound Designers and Composers: Ben and Max Ringham; Movement Director: Fabian Aloise; Associate Director and Text Edited by Jonathan Glew; Casting Director: Stuart Burt CDG; Wigs, Hair and Make Up Designer: Carole Hancock; Intimacy Coordinator: Ingrid Mackinnon; Props Supervisor: Fahmida Bakht; Assistant Director: Cory Hippolyte
Monday 10 February – Saturday 5 April 2025
Press Night: Wednesday 19 February, 7.30pm
“I do love nothing in the world so well as you: is not that strange?”
Tom Hiddleston is Benedick and Hayley Atwell is Beatrice. Two of their generation’s finest actors collaborate with director Jamie Lloyd again in this savagely funny and beautifully tender battle of wits.
Produced by The Jamie Lloyd Company.
Tom Hiddleston plays Benedick.
For The Jamie Lloyd Company: Betrayal (Harold Pinter Theatre/ Broadway/Bernard B. Jacobs Theater – Tony Award nominee for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play, Evening Standard Theatre Award nominee for Best Actor).
Other theatre credits include: Hamlet (Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company), Coriolanus (Donmar Warehouse – Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actor), Ivanov and Othello (Donmar Warehouse), Cymbeline (Cheek by Jowl – Olivier Award for Best Newcomer) and The Changeling (Cheek by Jowl).
Television credits include: Loki (Critics Choice’ Award Nomination, People’s Choice Award), The Essex Serpent, The Night Manager (Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television, Emmy Leading Actor Nomination), Henry IV Parts 1&2 and Henry V (South Bank Sky Arts Award for Breakthrough performance), Return to Cranford, Wallander, Miss Austen Regrets, The Gathering Storm, Conspiracy and Nicholas Nickleby.
Film credits include: Loki in Marvel’s Thor, The Avengers (MTV Movie Awards for Best Villain and Best Fight), Thor: The Dark World, Thor: Ragnorak, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Early Man, Kong: Skull Island, I Saw the Light, High-Rise, Crimson Peak, Tinker Bell and The Pirate Fairy, Muppets Most Wanted, Only Lovers Left Alive, Exhibition, The Deep Blue Sea, War Horse, Midnight In Paris, Archipelago and Unrelated.
Forthcoming projects include: The Life of Chuck and The Night Manager 2.
Hayley Atwell plays Beatrice.
In 2018 Hayley was awarded the Guildhall Fellowship in recognition of her contribution to the arts.
For The Jamie Lloyd Company: The Pride (Trafalgar Studios – Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress, WhatsOnStage Award nomination for Best Actress in a Play).
Other theatre credits include: Rosmersholm (Duke of York’s Theatre – Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress), Measure for Measure (Donmar Warehouse), Dry Powder (Hampstead Theatre), The Faith Machine (Royal Court Theatre – Directed by Jamie Lloyd), A View from the Bridge (Duke of York’s Theatre – Olivier Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress), The Man of Mode (National Theatre), Major Barbara (National Theatre – Ian Charleson Commendation), Women Beware Women (RSC) and Prometheus Bound (Sound Theatre).
Television credits include: Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft (voice), Heartstopper, Criminal, The Long Song, Howards End, Conviction, Agent Carter Series 1 & 2, Life of Crime, Black Mirror: Be Right Back series 2, Restless, Falcon: The Blindman of Seville, The Silent and the Dammed, Any Human Heart, Pillars of the Earth, The Prisoner, Mansfield Park, Ruby in the Smoke, Fear of Fanny and The Line of Beauty.
Film credits include: Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning – Part One, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Blinded by the Light, Christopher Robin, The Complete Walk: Cymbeline, Ant Man, Cinderella, Testament of Youth, The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America -The Winter Soldier, Jimi: All Is by My Side, The Man, The Sweeney, I, Anna, Captain America-The First Avenger, The Duchess, Brideshead Revisited, How About You and Cassandra’s Dream.
Forthcoming projects include: Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning – Part Two and Rogue Trooper.
Mara Huf plays Hero.
For The Jamie Lloyd Company: The Tempest (Theatre Royal Drury Lane), The Effect(National Theatre)
Theatre credits include: Childminder (Traverse Theatre), The True History of Bonnie and Clyde (Birmingham Repertory), Electra, Closer, Holy Day, La Ronde, Lord of the Flies,Pygmalion and Othello (Birmingham Conservatoire).
Film credits include: Death Do Us Part (Play Entertainment), The People We Hate at the Wedding (Amazon) and Tetris (Apple TV).
Television credits include: Toast of Tinseltown (Objective Media), Avenue 5 (HBO) andStorm (Treasure Hunt).
Training: Birmingham Conservatoire
Mika Onyx Johnson plays Borachio.
For The Jamie Lloyd Company: The Seagull (Harold Pinter); Cyrano de Bergerac(Playhouse/ Harold Pinter/ Glasgow Theatre Royal/ BAM, NYC).
Theatre credits include: Pink Lemonade (Gate/ Edinburgh Fringe Festival/ Bush Theatre); As You Like It (Shakespeare’s Globe); Dear Elizabeth (Gate); Michael X (Almeida).
Film credits include: Dismantle Me (Spinster Films).
Television credits include: What It Feels Like For A Girl (BBC Three); Newark, Newark(Balloon Entertainment); Screw (Channel 4); The Girlfriend Experience (Transactional Pictures).
Writing credits include: What It Feels Like For A Girl (BBC); My White Best Friend (Bunker);Pink Lemonade (Bush); Queer Upstairs (Royal Court); I’m Here (Pentabus).
Gerald Kyd plays Don Pedro.
For The Jamie Lloyd Company: The Seagull (Harold Pinter).
Theatre credits include: Further than The Furthest Thing (Young Vic); The Deep Blue Sea and The Meeting (Chichester Festival); Cherry Orchard, Children of The Sun, Three Winter, Blood and Gifts (National).
Film credits include: And Mrs (Netflix); Tyger (Stave Hill Films); Muse (Fancy A Jam Pictures).
Television credits include: The Assassin (Amazon); The Choice (Netflix); Love Rat (Channel 5); Malory Towers, The Split, The Swarm, Ridley, Dr Who, Cold Feet, Harlots, Britannia, Unforgotten, Deep Water (BBC).
Video game credits: Necromunda: Hired Gun; Call of Cthulhu; Battlefleet Gothic 2; Assassin’s Creed, Ryse: Son of Rome; Grey Goo.
Training: LAMDA
Forbes Masson plays Leonato.
For The Jamie Lloyd Company: The Tempest (Theatre Royal Drury Lane), Macbeth,Richard III, The Ruling Class (Trafalgar Studios) and Dr Faustus (Duke of York’s).
Theatre credits include: Farm Hall (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Laughing Boy (Jermyn Street), Jekyll and Hyde (Lyceum), Boy in the Dress, Macbeth, Hamlet, Comedy of Errors, Twelfth Night, The Histories, As You Like It, Romeo & Juliet and Taming of the Shrew (Royal Shakespeare Company), Summer and Smoke (Almeida), Travesties (Menier Chocolate Factory), King Lear (Headlong).
Film credits include: The Road Dance (BBC).
Television credits include: The Crown (Netflix); As You Like It (CBeebies); Crime, EastEnders, Red Dwarf and The High Life (BBC), Catastrophe(Avalon Television), Young Person’s Guide to Becoming a Rock Star (Ch4).
Other credits include: Associate Artist at Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre Scotland, and co-writer of Victor and Barry’s Kelvinside Compendium (404ink).
Phillip Olagoke plays Friar Francis.
For The Jamie Lloyd Company: The Tempest (Theatre Royal Drury Lane) and Romeo & Juliet (Duke of York’s)
Theatre credits include: OKLAHOMA! (Wyndham’s); The Glass Menagerie (Duke of York’s);A Number (Old Vic); David Copperfield (Barn); Farewell Leicester Square (Townsend Productions); Hansel & Gretel (Shakespeare’s Globe).
Training: The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.
Mason Alexander Park plays Margaret.
For The Jamie Lloyd Company: The Tempest (Theatre Royal Drury Lane).
Theatre credits include: American Idiot (Deaf West, USA), Cabaret (Playhouse Theatre), I am Your Own Wife (Long Wharf) and Hedwig and the Angry Inch (US Tour).
Film credits include: National Anthem (LD Entertainment).
Television credits include: Quantum Leap (NBC), The Sandman (Netflix), Cowboy Bebop(Netflix) and iCarly (Nickelodeon).
James Phoon plays Claudio.
For The Jamie Lloyd Company: The Tempest (Theatre Royal Drury Lane).
Theatre credits include: Harry Potter and The Cursed Child (Palace Theatre) and Underdog: The Other Other Bronte (National Theatre).
Television credits include: Bridgerton (Netflix) and Wreck (BBC Three).
Training: Guildford School of Acting
Tim Steed plays Don John.
For The Jamie Lloyd Company: The Tempest (Theatre Royal Drury Lane).
Theatre credits include: Jack Absolute Flies Again (National Theatre), Ink (Almeida & Duke of York’s) The Pride (Royal Court) and Salome (Headlong).
Film credits include: One Life (See-Saw Films), The Phantom of the Open (Sony Pictures),Star Wars- The Last Jedi (Lucasfilm) Cruella (Disney Studios) and The Death of Stalin(Main Journey).
Television credits include: Breeders (Sky), The Nevers (HBO), The Crown (Left Blank Pictures & Sony Pictures), A Very British Scandal (BBC One & Amazon) and Brexit: The Uncivil War (Channel 4).
Jamie Lloyd directs. His credits for The Jamie Lloyd Company include The Tempest (Theatre Royal Drury Lane), Romeo & Juliet (Duke of York’s Theatre), Sunset Blvd. (Savoy Theatre – winner of seven Olivier Awards including Best Director and Best Musical Revival; Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Director), The Effect (National Theatre/The Shed, New York), A Doll’s House (Hudson Theatre, New York – nominated for six 2023 Tony Awards including Best Direction of a Play and Best Revival of a Play), The Seagull (Harold Pinter Theatre), Cyrano de Bergerac (Playhouse Theatre/Harold Pinter Theatre/Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York – Olivier Award for Best Revival; Critics’ Circle Theatre Award for Best Director), Betrayal (Harold Pinter Theatre/Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre – nominated for four 2021 Tony Awards including Best Direction of a Play and Best Revival of a Play; Critics’ Circle Theatre Award for Best Director), Pinter at the Pinter (Harold Pinter Theatre), The Maids, The Homecoming, The Ruling Class, Richard III, The Pride, The Hothouse and Macbeth (Trafalgar Studios).
LISTINGS
Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Box Office: lwtheatres.co.uk / 020 3925 2998
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
Monday 10 February – Saturday 5 April 2025
Press Night: Wednesday 19 February, 7.30pm
Access performances:
BSL Interpreted: Saturday 15 March, 2.30pm
Captioned: Saturday 22 March, 2.30pm
Audio Described: Saturday 29 March, 2.30pm