Full company announced for LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST and MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

Rehearsals are now underway for our summer co-productions with Guildford Shakespeare Company and today, we’re delighted to announce the full company for Love’s Labour’s Lost and Much Ado About Nothing. Running from 31 July to 22 August in the gardens of Thomas’s College, these two productions form our OT On the Hill programme, which offers a distinct open-air theatrical event, where the productions are presented as a unique, interconnected experience, with the shows spanning several years and exploring the enduring complexities of love.

Tom Littler, Artistic Director and Joint Chief Executive of the OT, will stage these two beloved Shakespeare comedies as a single, sweeping narrative set either side of World War II. In a joyful reimagining, the story unfolds across two summers, 1939 and 1945, allowing audiences to follow the same characters over time. This project sees Littler renew his collaboration with the Guildford Shakespeare Company having previously directed Hamlet, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Much Ado About Nothing, The Wind in the Willows, Twelfth Night and As You Like It for the company.

This compelling approach picks up on the long-debated idea that Much Ado About Nothing may, in fact, be the elusive Love’s Labour’s Won, a possible sequel to Love’s Labour’s Lost which explores what might have happened next after one of comedy’s greatest cliffhangers. The two productions will run in repertory throughout July, giving audiences the chance to enjoy each play independently or experience both in a single day. While each story can easily stand alone, together they offer a beautifully satisfying love saga.

The two productions will be performed by a single ensemble cast, enabling audiences to follow the same characters as their stories unfold. The company will feature Phoebe Pryce (The Crucible, Shakespeare’s Globe; The Importance of Being Earnest, Manchester Royal Exchange) and James Sheldon (The Rivals, Orange Tree Theatre; Pride & Prejudice, Bolton Octagon) as Beatrice/Rosaline and Benedick Berowne; Joëlle Brabban (The Rivals, Orange Tree; Romeo & Juliet, Grosvenor Park Open Air) as Hero/Moth; Sally Cheng (My Neighbour Totoro, RSC/West End; Twelfth Night, Regent’s Park) as Margaret/Jaquenetta; Jeremy Lloyd (Singin’ in the Rain, Jonathan Church Prod; Spike, Watermill Theatre) as Costard/Borachio; Chirag Bendict Lobo (Private Lives, BOV, Rose, Octagon; The Circle, Orange Tree) as Claudio Dumain; Robin Simpson (Laurel and Hardy, New Vic Theatre; The Last Picture, York Theatre Royal) as Don Armado/Friar Boyet  and Owen Oakeshott (The Mousetrap, West End; Witness for the Prosecution, Eleanor Lloyd Prod) as Prince of Navarre/Don Pedro. Joining them are GSC’s co-founders, actor-managers Sarah Gobran and Matt Pinches as Leonata, Princess of France and John Longaville/Dull Dogberry.

The production also brings on the internationally acclaimed Matthew Floyd Jones (Kathy & Stella Solve a Murder, West End; Nanny, BBC Radio 4; A Super Happy Story (About Feeling Super Sad), Fringe First Award; The Elmer Adventure, Tall Stories) to compose, a celebrated writer and musician known for his precise, expressive approach to storytelling through music. Best recognised as one half of the acclaimed comedy duo Frisky & Mannish, Jones has developed a distinctive compositional voice which blends wit with strong musical craftsmanship.

Audiences can expect a quintessential summer theatre experience, with performances staged in the beautiful grounds of Thomas’s College on Richmond Hill. Featuring picnic-friendly evenings and imaginative, immersive staging that makes full use of the outdoor setting, OT On the Hill promises an unforgettable season of open-air Shakespeare.

Tickets now available on our website and box office.