Today we announce the lead cast members and creative teams for our production of William Shakespeare’s well-loved comedy Much Ado About Nothing, co-produced with Ramps on the Moon, which will open at the Crucible this September before embarking on a UK Tour.

Playing the roles of Beatrice and Benedick are Daneka Etchells and Guy Rhys. Guy returns to Sheffield Theatres, having just performed in Chris Bush’s trilogy of plays ROCK / PAPER / SCISSORS across the Crucible, Lyceum and Studio stages. Daneka makes her Sheffield Theatres debut with Much Ado About Nothing.

A pioneering initiative, Ramps on the Moon is a consortium of theatres which aim to enrich stories and the ways in which they are told by putting deaf and disabled artists and audiences at the centre of their work.

"I do love nothing in the world so well as you. Is not that strange?"

Besotted young couple Claudio and Hero have fallen fast and are quickly engaged. Not everyone finds romance so straightforward – Benedick balks at the very thought of it and Beatrice agrees with him, on that if nothing else. But somewhere in this world, there’s someone for everyone, even if they’re right under your nose.

Robert Hastie, Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres, directs the play having recently directed PAPER in the Lyceum theatre for Sheffield Theatres’ ROCK / PAPER / SCISSORS trilogy, and before that She Loves Me in the Crucible. The Set and Costume Designer is Peter Mckintosh (Oliver!), British Sign Language Director is Emily Howlett (Tribes), Audio Description Director is Chloë Clarke (Elbow Room Theatre), Lighting Designer is Ian Scott (¡Carpa!),Sound Designer is Sam Glossop(PAPER), Composer is John Biddle (Oliver Twist), Casting Director is Jacob Sparrow (Anna Karenina), Assistant Director is Alexandra Whiteley (ROCK), British Sign Language Consultant is Brian Duffy (As You Like It) and British Sign Language Interpreter (Lead) is Emma Dawber (PAPER, SCISSORS).

Opening in Sheffield from Friday 9 - Saturday 24 September, the production will tour to Leeds Playhouse (Tuesday 27 September - Saturday 1 October), Birmingham Rep (Tuesday 4 - Saturday 8 October), Nottingham Playhouse (Tuesday 11 - Saturday 15 October), New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich (Tuesday 18 - Saturday 22 October), Theatre Royal Stratford East (Tuesday 1 - Saturday 5 November), and Salisbury Playhouse (Tuesday 8 - Saturday 12 November).

Tickets for Much Ado About Nothing are on sale now with every performance featuring the use of integrated creative sign language, audio description and captioning. Tickets can be booked through the Box Office in person, over the phone on 0114 249 6000 or at sheffieldtheatres.co.uk.