Shakespeare's Globe announces 2022 summer season

Shakespeare's Globe has unveiled its 2022 season plans, running from April to October.

Lucy Bailey will return to the central London venue for a new production of comedy hit Much Ado About Nothing after previously staging Titus Andronicus in 2014. The production (22 April to 23 October) is designed by Joanna Parker with Clemmie Reynolds as assistant director/dramaturg. The cast will include Peter Bourke, Rachel Hannah Clarke, George Fouracres, Nadi Kemp-Sayfi and Ciaran O'Brien.

Artistic director Michelle Terry will play the dual roles of Cordelia and the Fool in Helena Kaut-Howson's production of King Lear, which was revealed last year. Running from 10 June to 24 July, the production's creative team features movement director Marcello Magni, with Magni also playing Kent. Also joining the cast are Ryan Donaldson, Emma Ernest, Max Keeble, Glyn Pritchard, Marianne Oldham, Ann Ogbomo, Mark Jax and Diego Matamoros. King Lear is designed by Pawel Dobrzycki with Naeem Hayat as the assistant director.

Director Amy Hodge and writer Hannah Khalil (who is now the new resident writer at the venue) will provide their own take on Shakespeare's history play Henry VIII, re-configuring the text to lend further weight to the female perspective. The piece, playing from 19 May to 21 October, is designed by Georgia Lowe.

The Globe's associate artistic director Sean Holmes will direct a new production of The Tempest from 22 July to 22 October. The Globe ensemble listed above (Bourke, Clarke, Fouracres, Kemp-Sayfi and O'Brien) will appear.

The JMK Award 2021 winner Diane Page will provide a fresh take on Roman history play Julius Caesar, set to play at the Globe and venues across the UK as part of the Globe On Tour series.

Charlie Josephine will debut their new piece Joan, based on the life of the famous figure Joan of Arc and directed by Ilinca Radulian. It runs from 25 August to 22 October.

As already revealed, Sarah Frankcom will direct Macbeth as part of the Deutsche Bank-sponsored series of one-act, adapted Playing Shakespeare productions. Macbeth is cast by Verity Naughton and Nicholas Hockaday. All other summer season productions are cast by Becky Paris, head of casting.

In a first, the venue will collaborate with CBeebies to produce a specially adapted version of As You Like It for pre-school children performed on the Globe Stage and aired on CBeebies and BBC iPlayer. Families and young people will also be treated to a new production of Midsummer Mechanicals. Its Anti-Racist Shakespeare Webinars will return.

The venue has revealed there will be a special performance to celebrate its 25th birthday on 18 June.

Terry said today: "For our 2022 summer season, our magnificent wooden ‘O' will hold the past and present, the personal and political, power, pomp, pageantry and passion. The world beyond may be uncertain, but these plays are sure to guide us through the summer days with hope, strength, and purpose – and of course with people. Above all else there will be people. People being together, with other people. Summer Season 2022 at Shakespeare's Globe. It's going to be epic."

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