The RSC have released details of their Spring 2022 activity including Shakespeare returning to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre stage.

The productions include much-loved romantic comedy Much Ado About Nothing and two state-of the nation plays, Henry VI: Rebellion and Wars of the Roses.

Michael Balogun and Akiya Henry will star as Benedick and Beatrice respectively in the new production of Much Ado About Nothing from 4 February-12 March 2022, directed by Roy Alexander Weise.

The production will feature set design by Jemima Robinson, lighting by Azusa Ono, sound by Claire Windsor, costumes by Melissa Simon-Hartman, and an original score by Nigerian-born British guitarist and MOBO award-nominated musician Femi Temowo.

Roy Alexander Weise said: “Shakespeare was all too aware of the creative potential that came with setting his plays in imagined worlds…or at least worlds unfamiliar to his audience at the time. Far off landscapes like Antium, Ephesus, Syria, Venice and Verona were as far removed from the world of 16th century England as the future feels to us today, providing Shakespeare with the perfect canvas on which to paint. Living in a 21st Century global society, our world is much smaller and more connected, which is why I wanted to explore what a futuristic vision of society might look like; what has the potential to be different, what potential is there for change, and equally what fundamental aspects of the human condition remain unchanged?”

Gregory Doran and Owen Horsley direct Henry VI: Rebellion, followed by Wars of the Roses directed by Horsley in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from 1 April-4 June 2022 with a fresh new take on Henry VI Parts 2 & 3. The plays tell the story of a nation in crisis and recovery sharply resonant with our times today.

Henry VI: Rebellion and Wars of the Roses will feature set design by Stephen Brimson Lewis, with costumes by Hannah Clark, lighting by Matt Daw, sound by Steven Atkinson, and composition by RSC Associate Artist Paul Englishby.

Owen Horsley said: “The Henry VI plays are rarely seen on stage and that is most probably because of the pure scale and ambition of the young writer who penned them. Both Henry VI Parts Two and Three are record holders in their own right; Part Two containing the largest number of characters and Part Three featuring the greatest number of battles in any Shakespeare play. Throughout Henry VI we see a seismic shift from a chivalric code of honour to a dog-eat-dog world were only the most politically canny will survive.”

For more information and to book tickets, please click here.