Comic cast in Much Ado About Nothing

Mel Giedroyc is to take on a Shakespearean role in a new production of Much Ado About Nothing.

The comic and former Great British Bake Off presenter will play Beatrice at the Rose Theatre in Kingston, Surrey, next year.

Director Simon Dormandy said Giedroyc was an ‘outstandingly subtle, powerful actor, as well as a very funny one’.

He previously directed her in the drama Luce, about homegrown terrorists at the Southwark Playhouse last year.

Jerry Gunn, executive producer of the Rose Theatre, said: “I’m very excited to see Mel put her stamp on the role, and it is entirely fitting to have such a popular actress and performer playing Beatrice, something that would have enchanted our founding artistic director Peter Hall.’

The production previews from April 13 and will run until May 6.

She previously appeared in a short film based on The Merry Wives of Windsor – one of 37 clips Shakespeare’s Globe made based on each of The Bard’s plays to mark the 400th year of his death. They were originally shown on screens along the River Thames./p>

Published: 20 Oct 2017