The Royal Shakespeare Company will continue its commitment to celebrate the work of Shakespeare’s contemporaries by staging Christopher Marlowe’s play The Jew of Malta.
Justin Audibert will make his RSC debut directing Marlowe’s play of religious conflict and revenge. Artistic associate for HighTide Festival Theatre and Red Ladder, he directed Beached at the Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury and Soho Theatre, London in 2014 and Hamlet at the Watermill Theatre, Newbury.
Jasper Britton plays the complex Machiavellian protagonist Barabas. He played the title role in Gregory Doran’s productions of Henry IV Parts I and II in 2014.
The rest of the cast includes Andy Apollo (Don Lodowick), Sheila Atim (attendant), Guy Burgess (first knight), Beth Cordingly (Bellamira), Geoffrey Freshwater (Friar Barnadine), Marcus Griffiths (Calymath), Rhiannon Handy (attendant), Simon Hedger (merchant), Julian Hoult (merchant), Matthew Kelly (Friar Jacomo), Annette McLaughlin (Katherine), Lanre Malaolu (Ithamore), Matthew Needham (Pilia-Borza), Steven Pacey (Ferneze), Richard Rees (Martin del Bosco), Colin Ryan (Don Mathias), Nav Sidhu (Callapine), Catrin Stewart (Abigail) and Gabby Wong (abbess).
Design is by Lily Arnold with lighting by Oliver Fenwick. Music is composed by Jonathan Girling with sound by Claire Windsor. Movement is by Lucy Cullingford and the fight director is Kev McCurdy.
The Jew of Malta plays in the Swan Theatre from Wednesday 18 March until Tuesday 8 September. Press night is on Thursday 26 March.