Robert Boulter, John Bowe, Scarlett Brookes, Julie Legrand and Mimi Ndiweni are among the cast of four new plays collectively called Midsummer Mischief which will be performed at the Royal Shakespeare Company this summer.
The plays form a festival inspired by the original ethos and spirit of the RSC’s former studio space The Other Place when it was under the leadership of Buzz Goodbody.
The plays will be performed in repertoire in a purpose-built temporary studio on the current Courtyard Theatre stage in Stratford from 14 June until 12 July. All four plays will then transfer to Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court, London from 15 until 17 July.
The plays will be presented in two programmes. Erica Whyman will direct The Ant and the Cicada by Timberlake Wertenbaker and Revolt. She said. Revolt again by Alice Birch. Jo McInnes will direct I can hear you by E V Crowe and This is not an exit by Abi Zakarian. The productions will be cross-cast.
The cast includes Robert Boulter, recognised for his recurring role in the BBC TV series Casualty, whose theatre credits include Herons (Royal Court) and Philip Ridley’s Mercury Fur (Paines Plough at the Menier Chocolate Factory in 2005).
John Bowe is well known for TV roles in Prime Suspect, Coronation Street and Cranford and West End roles in Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Sweeney Todd.
Scarlett Brookes made her stage debut in Caryl Churchill’s Love and Information at the Royal Court in 2012.
Julie Legrand’s credits include roles in the West End productions of Philip King’s See How they Run at the Duchess Theatre in 2006 and Fiddler on the Roof at the Savoy Theatre in 2007. She was last at the RSC as the Nurse in a touring production of Romeo and Juliet.
Mimi Ndiweni returns to the RSC after completing the First Encounter production of The Taming of the Shrew, which toured schools and theatres across the UK and Ohio.
Throughout the festival in Stratford, there will be a free exhibition in the foyer of the Courtyard Theatre commemorating the 40th anniversary of the opening of The Other Place.
The full programme is available at the RSC web site.