Christopher Luscombe is to make his Royal Shakespeare Company directing debut, leading one acting company in both Love's Labour's Lost and Love's Labour's Won—usually known as Much Ado About Nothing.
The two works will play in repertoire in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and are part of a season marking the centenary of World War I.
Luscombe appeared with the RSC as an actor in 1998. His directing experience includes The Merry Wives of Windsor in 2010 and The Comedy of Errors in 2006 for Shakespeare’s Globe, Alan Bennett’s The Madness of George III at the Apollo Theatre in 2012 and Monty Python’s Spamalot in the West End.
The two comedies are set just before and just after World War I in a country house based on Charlecote Park in Warwickshire, four miles from the RSC’s home in Stratford.
Edward Bennett and Michelle Terry will return to the RSC to play the lovers in both productions.
The rest of the cast is Sam Alexander (King of Navarre and Don John), Peter Basham (gamekeeper and butler), William Belchambers (Longaville and Conrade), Nick Haverson (Costard and Dogberry), John Hodgkinson (Don Armado and Don Pedro), David Horovitch (Holofernes and Leonato), Tunji Kasim (Dumaine and Claudio), Sophie Khan Levy (housemaid), Oliver Lynes (footman and soldier), Emma Manton (Jaquenetta and Margaret), Chris McCalphy (Dull and sexton), Frances McNamee (Maria and Ursula), Peter McGovern (Moth and George Seacoal), Chris Nayak (footman and Borachio), Jamie Newall (Boyet and Friar Francis), Roderick Smith (Marcadé and Verges), Flora Spencer-Longhurst (Katharine and Hero), Harry Waller (gamekeeper and Balthasar), Thomas Wheatley (Sir Nathaniel and Antonio) and Leah Whitaker (Princess of France).
Both productions will be broadcast live from Stratford to cinemas, Love’s Labour’s Lost on Wednesday 11 February and Love Labour’s Won on Wednesday 4 March. They will simultaneously be screened in more than 300 cinemas around the country and will also be available in North America, Australia, Japan and Northern Europe.
Both plays are designed by Simon Higlett with lighting by Oliver Fenwick. The music is composed by Nigel Hess with sound by Jeremy Dunn. Movement director is Jenny Arnold.
Love’s Labour’s Lost will be performed in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from Tuesday (23 September) until 14 March while Love’s Labour’s Won runs from 3 October until 14 March. The press performance for both productions will be Wednesday 15 October.