CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — As part of a strategic partnership with the Utah Shakespeare Festival, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London is bringing a group of recent graduates’ touring production of “Much Ado About Nothing” to festival audiences. This annual touring production has been performed in London and at European arts festivals for years, but this is the first time it will be seen in the United States.

The 90-minute version of the play will be presented at 9:30 a.m. each day from July 26-30 in the Anes Studio Theatre, where audience members will have the opportunity to watch 10 graduates from this prestigious London-based training program perform. .

The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts training program boasts a number of exceptional alumni who have seen success as actors, including Alan Rickman, Allison Janney, Anthony Hopkins, Glenda Jackson, Roger Moore, Joan Collins and Richard Attenborough. And its next star just may be on the Utah Shakespeare Festival stage this summer.

“I have long thought that the American approach to Shakespeare – full of gusto and verve – and the British classical elegance are companion acting styles that show why Shakespeare is beloved on both sides of the pond and throughout the English-speaking world,” said Derek Charles Livingston, the festival’s interim artistic director. “Our RADA guests will provide the festival audience a chance to witness these beautiful performing contrasts with their morning presentations of ‘Much Ado about Nothing’ and our afternoon and evening offerings of ‘King Lear,’ ‘All’s Well that Ends Well‘ and ‘The Tempest.’ It is a rare opportunity, and I’m excited for our audiences to be part of it.”

Announced more than two years ago, the partnership between the Utah Shakespeare Festival and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts is being fully realized after a delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The partnership includes a commitment to present the annual Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts play at the festival and to hire at least one student or graduate from the training program in the festival acting company each season. (This year, the festival hired two: Aidan O’Reilly and Michael Sharon.) The five-year agreement is funded by an anonymous donor.

Frank Mack, the festival’s executive producer, explained that the artistic exchange program idea began with a simple discussion of the play “Hamlet,” which the festival was producing in 2019. “A friend of the festival mentioned he had seen an exceptional production of ‘Hamlet’ at RADA, and so we wanted to talk to them about that,” Mack said. That conversation soon expanded into a strategic partnership between the two theatre companies.

Mack noted that this is an exciting partnership because it gives Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts actors the opportunity to come to the U.S. and possibly build a career here while also giving American audiences the opportunity to see magnificent artists from a European training academy. 

“The opportunity for the festival to expand its artistic horizons beyond our shows and collaborate with one of the most prestigious training academies in the world provides access for our audience to another dimension of theatre performance that we wouldn’t otherwise see,” he said. 

Niamh Dowling, principal at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, added: “I am delighted that we have this excellent partnership with the Utah Shakespeare Festival. We are thrilled to be visiting for the first time and to share ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ with you. Huge and sincere thanks to the Utah Shakespeare Festival for your partnership, support and friendship.”

Tickets for “Much Ado About Nothing” are $20. For further information and to purchase tickets, call the ticket office at 800-PLAYTIX or click here.

The Utah Shakespeare Festival’s 2022 season runs now through Oct. 8, and tickets are still available. This season, patrons can see Shakespeare’s “All’s Well That Ends Well,” “King Lear” and “The Tempest”; musicals “Sweeney Todd” and “The Sound of Music”; and contemporary plays “Trouble in Mind,” “Clue” and “Thurgood.” Call the ticket office or visit bard.org for tickets and information. 

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