Royal Shakespeare Company to Transfer Julius Caesar and Much Ado About Nothing to the West End

The Royal Shakespeare Company will transfer two World Shakespeare Festival productions to the Noel Coward Theatre on the West End in 2012. Julius Caesar, directed by RSC chief associate director Gregory Doran, and Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Iqbal Khan, will play Stratford-upon-Avon before transferring to London. The two productions will run back to back from August to October 2012. Offical London dates have not been announced.

Set in contemporary Africa, this production of Julius Caesar features Adjoa Andoh, Ray Fearon, Paterson Joseph, Jeffery Kissoon and Joseph Mydell. Michael Vale is designing the sets and costumes, music is by Akintayo Akinbode, lighting design is by Vince Herbert, sound design is by Jonathan Ruddick and fight direction is by Kev McCurdy. It will run at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford from May 28 through July 7.

Khan makes his RSC directorial debut with Much Ado, which will transpose Shakespeare’s unsettling comedy of love and deceit to an Indian setting with Meera Syal in the leading role of Beatrice. Further casting will be announced at a later date. It plays Stratford's Courtyard Theatre July 26 through September 15.

The World Shakespeare Festival, produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company, honors Shakespeare as part of the London 2012 Festival, which is a 12-week nationwide celebration leading up to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.