‘Much Ado About Nothing’ @ Theatre Off Jackson

It’s one of the most-produced plays in history, but chances are you’ve never seen anything like this version of “Much Ado About Nothing.” A co-presentation of literary burlesque company Noveltease Theatre, Theatre Off Jackson and Jo Jo Stiletto, it’s more than an adaptation of Shakespeare’s seminal 1598 comedy. By setting it at a gay bar in post-Stonewall Seattle, it’s also a call to action.

“This isn’t just queer casting of Shakespeare,” adapter Stiletto told The Ticket. “This show takes place inside the beating heart of the queer community.” Instead of Messina, the setting is now Messy Ina’s, a 1970s nightclub heavily inspired by Shelly’s Leg — Seattle’s first disco that was “proudly by and for the gay community and their guests.” Of the character updates, Benedick is now Benny Dick, a Borscht Belt butch drag king, while Beatrice is a “sassy, brassy” cabaret femmecee.

This very special production, directed by Verity Germaine and co-choreographed by Fosse Jack and Flossy Beatrice, has been three years in the making, a careful process that included extensive dramaturgy about America’s LGBTQIA+ history, especially on a local level.

“I’ve thought a lot about the importance of gay bars during the process of this show,” Stiletto continued. “Places like Wildrose or the dearly departed Re-bar. So many of these function not just as a place to socialize and dance but to organize, create culture through performance and, well, fall in and out of love. I love capturing the dizzying magic of these places, where the lines between audience and entertainer are blurred.”

The rebellious aspect of Stiletto’s approach reverberates right into the present day. “In the opening moments of Shakespeare’s play, soldiers are returning from war for rest and relaxation. For the queer community, it feels like the fight is never-ending. Our soldiers are instead protesters, returning to the stage and dance floor. Like everyone else, the queer community deserves the freedom to explore their messy, messy love lives as their true selves.”

Noveltease’s version also enhances nuances of the Bard’s text. “The title ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ has dual meanings. One is about misunderstandings. Also, ‘Nothing’ was Elizabethan slang for, well, a vagina or lack of penis. So perhaps, in our queer year of 2026, it could be: ‘Why is everyone making a big deal out of what is or is not in anyone else’s pants?’”

“This is a camptastic, burlesque and dragified, explicitly queer retelling of a classic Shakespearean comedy with sweaty ‘Muppet Show’ energy,” Stiletto concluded. “Shakespeare is already so campy, dirty and flirty. We just turned up the volume.”