The Royal Shakespeare Company's new production of Much Ado About Nothing is wonderfully acted, imaginatively staged (in a setting that gives us the pre-Castro Cuba of the fifties a land of fiery music, smouldering cigars and smouldering passions), and, all in all, tremendously good fun. It is a show that must on no account be missed, so it is fortunate indeed, for those with busy schedules, that it has a long run at the Swan Theatre, continuing, as part of the Complete Works season very obviously a big hit already well into October.

At its centre are a Beatrice and Benedict as good as any I have seen, their battles of wit engaging attention from their first meeting and their passion, when it comes, both convincing and oddly affecting. Tamsin Greig is a recognised comic talent from her work in television's Green Wing. I have never seen the show, but shall make a point of looking out for it in the hope it will return. Joseph Millson is something of an old hand at laughter-making at the Swan, having previously turned in excellent performances two years ago in the RSC's Spanish Golden season comedies The Dog in the Manger and House of Desires. In both of these he had significant 'woman troubles' but nothing to match what he gets from Beatrice.

There is no very strong or, indeed any textual justification for debutante Stratford director Marianne Elliott's desertion of Messina in favour of Cuba. But what a bonus it gives in terms of atmosphere you almost expect Hemingway to stride from beneath the idly turning fans and elaborate ironwork of Lez Brotherston's designs. The updating also brings us a battered Vespa scooter, which leads to one of the biggest laughs of the evening when Beatrice accidentally lets off its horn while she's overhearing details of Benedick's alleged passion for her. And then there's the music! Composer Olly Fox and a team of nine 'hep cat' players present so much infectious melody that it's hard to sit still. By the interval, I felt I owed an apology to the young lady next to me for all my jiggling. "Shall we dance later?" she asked and we nearly did.

On stage there was plenty to set us an example. The Governor Leonato (Nicholas Day) runs a really merry house for Don Pedro (Patrick Robinson) and his retinue of officers to relax in after their victories. Why, there's even a nightclub singer in the shape the very attractive shape of Yvette Rochester-Duncan's Balthasar. You'd have thought all its comforts might help keep the prince's nasty bastard brother Don John (Jonny Weir) out of trouble. But he's still determined to wreck the romance of the gold-digging Claudio (Adam Rayner) and the feisty Hero (Morven Christie) before going off (as he indicates with his raised gloved fist on departure) to join the coming communist revolution. Or perhaps he's just ensuring he's safely out the way of Bette Bourne's astonishing old queen of a Dogberry, the boss of the Watch as any sensible man would want to be.