Changeling Theatre is staging Much Ado About Nothing across Kent for its annual outdoor tour in 2026. Shakespeare’s famous romcom will get a gothic makeover by the company, drawing on themes of love, dishonesty and deception.
Glitz, glamour and scandal will hit Messina where Much Ado About Nothing is set. Think decadent costume balls and devious misdemeanours in a play where love’s a battlefield and the gossip never stops.
Beatrice and Benedick swear they can’t stand each other. Hero and Claudio seem picture-perfect until a little drama crashes their party. Lurking behind the cocktails and confetti is one deliciously devious Don John stirring up trouble.
It’s sharp, it’s funny, it’s the ultimate party romcom full of twists, tunes and turns. There ain’t no party like a Shakespeare party, and this is sure to be the perfect summer play full of laughter, love, and mayhem.
Changeling’s creative director Rob Forknall says: “Drawing on the gothic themes in films like Saltburn, I’m very excited to be giving the ever popular Much Ado About Nothing a glamorous, fun and decadent twist. Whilst there’s plenty of wit, love and laughter at the heart of the play, there is undoubtedly a darker side full of deception and double-standards too, which our production will take great delight in drawing out.”
“O, what men dare do! What men may do! What men daily do, not knowing what they do!” (Claudio, Act 4, Scene 1)
The company will perform Much Ado About Nothing in a range of outdoor locations from Friday 3 July to Sunday 23 August 2026, in venues as diverse as Biddenden Vineyards and Margate Main Sands to a wide range of public gardens, parks, amphitheatres and many of the county’s best loved castles. There are some exciting new venues to look out for too.
Play venues, dates and booking details will be released in March 2026.