Michael Balogun withdraws from Royal Shakespeare Company's Much Ado About Nothing

Michael Balogun has withdrawn from the role of Benedick in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s forthcoming production of Much Ado About Nothing.
 
The RSC said that Balogun had to pull out due to "unforeseen circumstances" and that the role will be played by his understudy Luke Wilson.

Directed by Roy Alexander Weise, the play began previews on February 4 and runs until March 12. 

A statement from the RSC said: "The Royal Shakespeare Company today confirmed a change to the cast for the company’s forthcoming production of Much Ado About Nothing. 

"Due to unforeseen circumstances Michael Balogun has had to withdraw from the role of Benedick. This role will now be played by Michael’s understudy Luke Wilson."

The RSC added that critics will no longer be invited to the previously scheduled press night on February 15, and will instead be able to attend performances from February 17 onwards. 

Balogun, who featured in The Stage 100 2021, rose to acclaim after he stepped up from understudy to star in the National Theatre’s production of Death of England: Delroy, when Giles Terera was forced to pull out. 

Earlier this year, the RSC’s artistic director Erica Whyman condemned racist backlash to the production, which features a black cast and is reimagined as an Afro-futurist vision, as reported in the Independent.