One of my favourite theatrical festivals of the summer is Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival and it launches its 36th Season in Sen̓áḵw/Vanier Park with Much Ado About Nothing. One of Shakespeare’s wittiest plays gets a classic reimagining this summer under the clever guidance of director Johnna Wright with additional text by Canadian playwright Erin Shields.
Love, lies, and laughter collide in Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare’s sunniest and sassiest comedy! In the idyllic town of Messina, soldiers return victorious—and so does trouble. The sharp-tongued Beatrice (Jennifer Lines) and the charming Benedick (Sheldon Elter) are longtime sparring partners who swear they’ll never fall in love… until their friends hatch a hilarious plot to trick them into admitting their true feelings. Meanwhile, the sweet young couple Hero and Claudio (Jennifer Tong and Angus Yam) have their wedding plans thrown into chaos when the scheming Don John (Karthik Kadam) spreads a wicked lie. With mistaken identities, fake deaths, and a little help from the delightfully clueless Constable Dogberry (Scott Bellis), the truth finally comes out, and love wins the day — in the most unexpected ways. Packed with witty banter, wild twists, and sun-drenched romance, this countryside romp proves that the course of true love never did run smooth… but it’s a lot more fun that way!
Additional cast members of Much Ado About Nothingcast members include Jennifer Clement, Steffanie Davis, Paige Fraser, Kristi Hansen, Matthew Ip Shaw, Sebastian Kroon, Jacob Leonard, David Marr, Agnes Tong, and Tanner Zerr.
Ticket prices for all regular play performances start at $35 CAD and are available now. Early booking is recommended for best seat selection, as many performances sell out in advance. The full performance schedule and event details are on the Bard website at bardonthebeach.org. To book tickets, order online through the Bard website or call the Bard Box Office at 604-739-0559 or (toll free) 1-877-739-0559.
