Tarragon to Stage Bollywood-Inspired MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

Tarragon Theatre proudly presents the world premiere of a Bollywood-inspired adaptation of William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing - set in Brampton, Ontario!

Directed by Tarragon Artistic Director Richard Rose with consulting director Ravi Jain, Shakespeare's clever comedy opens Wednesday, April 29 and runs to Sunday, May 31 (previewing from April 22) in Tarragon's Mainspace. Hindi translation and surtitles are by Cultural Consultant Sharada Eswar.

Tarragon's Much Ado plays as an all-out war of the sexes against the backdrop of a very Canadian clash of cultures. Classical text fuses with Bharatanatyam, Bollywood and Brampton in this larger-than-life spectacle.

Moving from comedy to tragedy and back again with razor sharp wit, a familiar story takes on new meaning when set in our own backyard and promises to shed new light on love in our modern urban times.

Much Ado About Nothing's dream-team cast is:

- Kawa Ada (Soulpepper's Accidental Death of an Anarchist) as Lord Tata (Don Pedro in the original),

- David Adams (6 seasons as Resident Associate Director Vancouver Opera) as Mayor Ranjit of Brampton (Leonato),

- Salvatore Antonio (title role in Tarragon's Léo) as Jovanni Tata (Don John, The Bastard),

- Nova Bhattacharya (Artistic Director of Nova Dance) as Menaka (Margaret/Ursula),

- John Cleland (Dora Award for Workman Arts' Edward the Crazy Man) as Constable Verges,

- Ali Momen (Canadian Stage's A Midsummer Night's Dream) Darius (Claudio),

- Alon Nashman (Stratford Festival's Hirsch) as Benedict, Chief Financial Officer of Bramalea,

- Sarena Parmar (Stratford Festival's Alice Through The Looking-Glass) as Sita (Hero),

- Ellora Patnaik (Nightwood Theatre's HER2) as Auntie (Antonio),

- Anand Rajaram (numerous VideoCabaret productions) as Head Constable Bud Singh (Dogberry),

- Anusree Roy (Dora-winning writer and Dora-nominated performer for Factory Theatre's Brothel #9) as Thara (Beatrice),

- Gugun Deep Singh (Canadian stage debut with numerous U.S. credits) as Dalal (Conrade/Borachio),

- Tahirih Vejdani (Stratford's Elektra) as Suba (Balthazar).

Original compositions from acclaimed composers/sound designers Ed Hanley, co-artistic director of celebrated world music ensemble Autorickshaw, and theDora Award-winning, twice JUNO-nominated world/fusion vocalist Suba Sankaran are interwoven throughout the play as is the choreography of Dora-nominated Nova Bhattacharya. Expect some high energy, Bollywood-style breakout dance sequences for the full cast to perform from these accomplished artists.

Richard Rose is the Artistic Director of Tarragon Theatre. Prior to joining Tarragon in 2002, Rose was Founding Artistic Director at Necessary Angel (a position he held from 1978-2002), Associate Director for Canadian Stage Company, Director of the Stratford Festival Young Company and spent ten seasons directing at the Stratford Festival. He has directed plays across Canada, the United States, and in London's West End in styles ranging from the environmental to the classical. Rose is well known for developing new work, including four plays that won the Governor General's Award and nine other nominated plays. He is a four-time Dora Award winner for direction and production and has had numerous nominations. He has also been honoured with a Doctorate of Sacred Letters (jure dignitatus) from Thorneloe University (Sudbury, his home town), the Canada Council Walter Carsen Award for Excellence in the Arts and the City of Toronto's Barbara Hamilton Award for the same. Rose directed An Enemy of the People and Abyss for Tarragon this season. Much Ado About Nothing is the final show of Tarragon's 2014-15 season.

Ravi Jain is the Artistic Director of Why Not Theatre. He created and performed in the Tarragon/Why Not's A Brimful of Asha. Other directing: Soulpepper (Accidental death of an Anarchist), Why Not Theatre (Greenland, Iceland, The Prince Hamlet, A Brimful of Asha). National Theatre School (Lion in the Streets).Upcoming: UK premiere of Like Mother, Like Daughter at the Battersea Arts Centre in collaboration with Complicite, Toronto premiere of Gimme Sheltercommissioned by Pan Am Games Toronto 2015. Other: Ken MacDougal Award, Pauline McGibbon Award, inaugural Artistic Director in Residence Theatre Centre.

The talented creative team includes set and costume designer Michelle Tracey (who also did Tarragon's An Enemy Of the People) and award-winning lighting designer Phillip Silver. The assistant director is Richard Ausar Stewart and the stage manager is Nicola Benidickson.

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