"Much Ado About Nothing" (NT Live) at Hammer Theatre Center

Hammer Theatre Center invites audiences to escape to the Italian Riviera during its National Theatre Live (NT Live) screening of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Simon Godwin (Twelfth Night, Anthony and Cleopatra, Romeo & Juliet). Filmed in front of a live audience at the National Theatre in London, this beloved comedy of new beginnings features Katherine Parkinson (Home, I’m Darling, The IT Crowd) and John Heffernan (The Crown, Becoming Elizabeth) in a new production reset in the 1930s. This gleeful production takes place in the legendary family-run Hotel Messina visited by artists, celebrities, and royalty. When the owner’s daughter falls for a dashing young soldier, the hallways are ringing with the sounds of wedding bells. However, not all guests are in the mood for love, and a string of deceptions soon follow. Met with critical acclaim, Much Ado About Nothing has been hailed “A blissful revival” (The Telegraph) and “A tremendous production” (BroadwayWorld), while Financial Times describes it as “Sweet, sparkly, sexy, somber, and touching.” Says Time Out, “Crucially, it’s a hoot.” SHOWS: 7:00pm, Thursday, February 2, 2023 2:00pm, Sunday, February 5, 2023