Mel Giedroyc to star in Much Ado About Nothing at the Rose Theatre Kingston

Mel Giedroyc will appear in the Rose Theatre Kingston production of Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Simon Dormandy from next April.

The production, which will be at the Rose Theatre Kingston from 13^th April to 6^th May, will set the play in a luxury spa in the Sicilian hills. Mafia overlord Don Pedro is hiding out in the hotel, which is run by it owner Leonato and customer experience manager Beatrice. Leonato's daughter hero wins the heard of Claudio, who is Don Pedro's young protégé.

Giedroyc, who is the former host of The Great British Bake Off, will play Beatrice in the production. Her previous theatre credits include Luce (Southwark Playhouse), The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Playhouse Theatre), Eurobeat (Novello Theatre) and New Boy (Trafalgar Studios).

Dormandy's previous work includes the UK première of Luce by JC Lee, Julius Caesar for Bristol Old Vic, and Waiting for Godot and Eldorado at the Arcola Theatre.

He commented: "A contemporary Sicilian setting offers the perfect social context for the play: an inflexibly patriarchal world, where daughters still marry as their fathers decree; a world brittle with honour and the law of vendetta; a south-Mediterranean world where a wedding is a major community event, and a shrine is still a place where magical things might just happen.

"Much Ado About Nothing is more than just funny: it is full of joy, a joy that springs as much from the overcoming of darkness by light - of brutal codes of behaviour by wit, imagination and love - as from wonderful jokes and sublime clowning."

Much Ado About Nothing will be at the Rose Theatre Kingston from 13^th April to 6^th May, with an official opening on 18^th April.