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Dateline: 9th March, 2003 RSC Festival 2003 Casting Update Four new productions in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and four new productions in the Swan Theatre in Stratford upon Avon will be presented by a core ensemble of sixty actors. Royal Shakespeare TheatreThe Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare The Taming of the Shrew is directed by RSC Associate Director Gregory Doran. The cast is led by Alexandra Gilbreath as Kate, whose last RSC performance was as Rosalind in As You Like It and Juliet in Romeo and Juliet in 2000. Since then she has appeared in the popular TV series The Bill and Monarch of the Glen. Playing opposite her as Petruchio is Jasper Britton in his first RSC role since the 1993/4 season. Jasper has recently played the title role in Macbeth at the Globe theatre as well as starring in Japes and Bedroom Farce, both in the West End. Recent TV includes Heartbeat, Murder in Mind and The Cry. Cast also includes: Esther Ruth Elliot (Widow), Eve Myles (Bianca), Beth Vyse (Lady), Tom Anderson (Haberdasher), Paul Chahidi (Hortensio), Ian Gelder (Baptista), Christopher Godwin (Gremio), Christopher Harvey (Tailor), Daniel Hawksford (Lucentio), Rory Kinnear (Tranio), John Lightbody (Curtis), Oliver Maltman (Peter), Bill Nash (Nathanial), Keith Osborn (Pedant), David Peart (Vincentio), Nathan Rimell (Joseph), Nicolas Tennant (Grumio), Simon Trinder (Biondello). The production is designed by Stephen Brimson Lewis with lighting designed by Tim Mitchell. Music is composed by Paul Englishby and sound by Martin Slavin. The Fight Director is Terry King and movement is directed by Michael Ashcroft. Previews from Monday 31 March Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare The second production to open in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre is directed by Sean Holmes who directed The Roman Actor in Gregory Doran's 2002 season of Jacobean plays. Sean received high critical praise for his recent production of Arthur Miller's The Price with Warren Mitchell at the Tricycle. The leading role of Isabella is played by award-winning actress Emma Fielding, whose last RSC production was The School for Scandal in the Barbican Theatre in 1998. Recently she has played Mrs Coulter in the BBC Radio 4 adaptation of Philip Pullman's Dark Materials trilogy, My Uncle Silas (ITV), and the award-winning production of Private Lives in the West End. Daniel Evans plays Angelo. Daniel made his RSC debut in 1994, straight out of drama school, appearing in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Coriolanus and Henry V. He has gone on to play a huge variety of roles for film, television and theatre including Peter Pan (RNT), Merrily We Roll Along (Donmar), Daniel Deronda (BBC) and Love in A Cold Climate (ITV). Paul Higgins makes his RSC debut as the Duke in this production. He recently played the title role in Macbeth for the English Touring Theatre at the Lyric Hammersmith and Oberon in the Globe's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Cast also includes Ishia Bennison (Mistress Overdone), Esther Ruth Elliot (Francisca), Shereen Ibrahim (Juliet), Lisa Stevenson (Marianna), Beth Vyse (Lady), Tom Anderson (Froth), Toby Dantzic (Friar), John Lloyd Fillingham (Lucio), James Hayes (Escalus), John Lightbody (Elbow), Andrew Macbean (Justice), Bill Nash (Barnardine), Fergus O'Donnell (Claudio), Keith Osborn (Provost), David Peart (Abhorson), Javone Prince (2nd Gentleman) Nathan Rimell (Angelo's Servant), Simon Trinder (Pompey) and Rob Wynn. The production is designed by Anthony Lamble with lighting by Tim Mitchell and sound by Andrea Cox. The music is composed by Adrian Lee. Previews from Friday 25 April Richard III by William Shakespeare Sean Holmes directs Henry Goodman in the title role in this new production. Henry is currently appearing in Tartuffe on Broadway and is a veteran of many film, theatre and television roles, including Shylock in Trevor Nunn's The Merchant of Venice (Royal National Theatre) and Richard Curtis' film, Notting Hill. Cast also includes Tom Anderson (1st Murderer), Toby Dantzic (Tyrell), David Fielder (Edward IV), John Lloyd Fillingham (Catesby), Bradley Freegard (Richmond), Ian Gelder (George, Duke of Clarence), Michael Hadley (Hastings), James Hayes (Stanley), John Killoran (Brackenbury), John Lightbody (Radcliffe), Andrew Macbean (Archbishop), Fergus O'Donnell (2nd Murderer), David Peart (Lord Mayor), Javone Prince (Dorset), Sheila Reid (Queen Margaret), Lisa Stevenson (Lady Anne). The production is designed by Anthony Lamble with lighting by Tim Mitchell and music composed by Adrian Lee. Previews from Friday 11 July Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare Bill Alexander directs this violent Shakespeare play, last seen on the RST stage in 1981. Bill was Artistic Director of the Birmingham Repertory Theatre from 1992 - 2001 and this will be his first RSC production since 1993. The title role is yet to be cast. Eve Myles makes her RSC debut playing Lavinia. She has appeared in her native Wales in the long running and hugely popular TV series Belonging. The cast also includes Daniel Brocklebank (Chiron), Branwell Donaghey, Christopher Duncan (Young Lucius), John Lloyd Fillingham, Bradley Freegard (Lucius), Ian Gelder (Marcus Andronicus), Martin Hutson (Demetrius), Michael G Jones, John Killoran, Andrew Macbean, Andrew Moriarty, Fergus O'Donnell (Bassianius), Javone Prince, Nicolas Tennant (Clown) and Rob Wynn. The production is designed by Ruari Murchison (making his RSC debut) with lighting by Tim Mitchell and music composed by Jonathan Goldstein. Previews from Friday 12 September The Swan TheatreAs You Like It by William Shakespeare Gregory Thompson makes his directorial debut at the RSC with this production. Rosalind is played by Nina Sosanya, who returns to the RSC after recently appearing in The Vortex at the Donmar Warehouse and the C4 TV series Teachers. Martin Hutson plays Orlando. Martin recently appeared in Ghosts with Francesca Annis at the Comedy theatre in the West End and in Another Country at the Arts theatre. The cast also includes Amy Finegan (Hisperia/Hyman), Naomi Frederick (Celia), Patricia Gannon (Audrey), Natasha Gordon (Phebe),Tim Barlow (Adam), Daniel Brocklebank (Silvius), Christopher Duncan (Dennis), David Fielder (Jacques), Bradley Freegard (Charles), Michael Hadley (Duke), Walter Hall (Oliver Martext), John Killoran (Touchstone), Edmund Moriarty (Jacques de Boys), Aaron Neil (Oliver), Alistair Robins (Le Beau), James Staddon (Amiens), Michael G Jones (Corin). The production is designed by Colin Peters with costumes by Hilary Lewis and lighting by Judith Greenwood. Music is composed by David Stoll and the Fight Director is Alison de Burgh. Previews from Thursday 13 March The Tamer Tamed by John Fletcher RSC Associate Director Gregory Doran directs Fletcher's 'sequel' to Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew with cross casting to reflect the reversal of roles as Jasper Britton's Petruchio deals with his second wife Maria (Alexandra Gilbreath). Cast includes: Daniel Brocklebank (Rowland), Paul Chahidi (Hortensio), Amy Finegan (Maid), Naomi Frederick (Livia), Patricia Gannon (City Wife), Christopher Godwin (Gremio), Natasha Gordon (Country wife), Walter Hall (Doctor), David Horovitch (Petronius), Rory Kinnear (Tranio), Oliver Maltman (Peter), Eve Myles (Bianca), James Staddon (1st Watch), Nicolas Tennant (Grumio). The production is designed by Stephen Brimson Lewis with lighting by Wayne Dowdeswell and sound by Martin Slavin. The music is composed by Paul Englishby. The Movement Director is Michael Ashcroft and the Fight Director is Terry King. Previews from Thursday 6 March) Brand by Henrik Ibsen, translated by Michael Meyer This production performs a six week run in the Swan Theatre before transferring to the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London where it will have its national press performance. Adrian Noble directs this production of Ibsen's play, written in 1866. His last RSC production was Pericles at the Roundhouse/RST in 2002. Ralph Fiennes returns to the RSC to play the title role after last performing with the company in 1990. He has recently finished playing Jung in Christopher Hampton's play The Talking Cure at the National Theatre and is currently to be seen in two new films, Spider and Maid in Manhattan with Jennifer Lopez. The production is designed by Peter McKintosh who recently designed Adrian's production of Pericles in 2002. (Further casting will be announced in due course) Performances in the Swan Theatre: 18 April - 24 May Cymbeline by William Shakespeare Dominic Cooke, who recently directed The Malcontent for the RSC in the 2002 Jacobean/Elizabethan Season directs this late Shakespeare play. This will be the first time this play has been performed in the Swan Theatre. Emma Fielding heads the cast as Imogen, with Daniel Evans playing Posthumous. Cast also includes: Ishia Bennison (Queen), Esther Ruth Elliot (Lady), Natasha Gordon (Helen), Tim Barlow (Soothsayer), Paul Chahidi (Cloten), Christopher Godwin (Belarius), Walter Hall (Cornelius), David Horovitch (Cymbeline), Rory Kinnear (1st Lord), Bill Nash (2nd Lord), Aaron Neil (Pisanio), Keith Osborn (Frenchman), James Staddon (Philario), Simon Trinder (Arviragus). The production is designed by Rae Smith with lighting by Chris Davey and music by Gary Yershon and sound by Paul Arditti. The Fight Director is Terry King and movement is by Liz Rankin. Previews from Wednesday 30 July Please note that all three Archive indices are very long and will therefore take some time to download.
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