Get ready for an electrifying return of Shakespeare to Broadway this fall! A vibrant, boisterous new take on “Much Ado About Nothing,” featuring two beloved “Avengers” stars and a focus on pure theatrical revelry, is set to captivate audiences.
This exciting production, which enjoyed a hugely successful run in London last year, will bring together the formidable talents of Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell. Both are acclaimed stage actors with impressive action-adventure film careers, promising a dynamic performance. Guiding this spectacle is Jamie Lloyd, a seasoned director with five previous Broadway hits, including this season’s “Waiting for Godot” and last season’s “Sunset Boulevard.”
The new “Much Ado” is planned for a limited engagement of just ten weeks. Producer and director Jamie Lloyd made the announcement recently, though specific dates and the exact Shubert Organization-operated theater are yet to be revealed.
Tom Hiddleston, globally recognized for his portrayal of Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, previously earned a Tony Award nomination for his 2019 Broadway revival of Pinter’s “Betrayal,” also directed by Lloyd. Hayley Atwell, known to Marvel fans as Agent Peggy Carter (and who appeared alongside Hiddleston in “Avengers: Endgame,” though not in shared scenes), as well as her role as Grace in the “Mission: Impossible” franchise, boasts extensive London stage experience. This will mark her highly anticipated Broadway debut.
William Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing,” believed to have been written in the 1590s, is a classic romantic comedy brimming with clever deceptions and delightful chaos. Its last Broadway revival was in 1984. Hiddleston and Atwell will portray Benedick and Beatrice, the witty, sparring lovers. Interestingly, this adaptation casts the romantic rivals as slightly more experienced, with Hiddleston at 45 and Atwell at 43.
This particular staging promises the immersive experience of a 1990s party, complete with pulsating house music, elaborate headdresses, and an abundance of pink confetti, all embracing a spirit of hedonism. While such a bold concept could easily go awry, British critics were overwhelmingly charmed. The Guardian praised it as “Thoroughly weird and absolutely wonderful,” awarding it five stars. Time Out London also gave it a perfect five-star rating, calling it “a ridiculous, ecstatic, hilarious masterpiece.” Even The Telegraph, in its own five-star review, lauded it as “bonkers but brilliantly inventive.”