Caroline Quentin joins the cast of Richard Bean’s “riotous” new comedy The Hypocrite which is to open in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Swan Theatre, Stratford after a run at Hull Truck, which ends on 25 March.
Quentin is Lady Sarah Hotham, wife of Sir John Hotham who is played by Mark Addy.
The play is set in April 1642. Sir John Hotham, Governor of Hull, is charged by Parliament to secure the arsenal at Hull and deny entry to King Charles I. But with a Royalist siege outside the city walls and the rebellion of the mob within, civil war seems inevitable and Sir John’s losing his head is more than probable.
Philip Breeen directs. His RSC credits include The Shoemaker’s Holiday in 2014 and The Merry Wives of Windsor in 2012.
The rest of the cast is Martin Barrass (Mayor Barnard), Danielle Bird (Drudge), Rachel Dale (ensemble), Neil D’Souza (Peregrine Pelham), Laura Elsworthy (Connie), Ben Goffe (Charles I / ghost), Danielle Henry (Sweet Lips / Mme Frottage / Lady Digby), Adrian Hood (executioner / Captain Moyer), Asif Khan (Captain Jack), Andrew Langtree (ensemble), Jordan Metcalfe (Duke of York), Sarah Middleton (Frances), Pierro Niel-Mee (Durand), Rowan Polonski (Prince Rupert), Paul Popplewell (Albert Calvert), Josh Sneesby (The Ranter) and Matt Sutton (Saltmarsh).
Design is by Max Jones with lighting by Tina MacHugh and sound by Andrea J Cox. Music is by Grant Olding, with fights by Renny Krupinski and movement by Annie Lees-Jones. Illusions are by Chris Fisher.
The Hypocrite runs in the Swan from Friday until Saturday 29 April. Press night is Wednesday 5 April.