Birmingham REP artistic director Roxana Silbert’s first production since taking over at the theatre will be a new translation of Molière’s comedy Tartuffe.
Birmingham-born actor Mark Williams will make his debut at the REP and returns to the stage after an absence of more than ten years.
Roxana Silbert says of Molière’s play, “Tartuffe is a brilliant investigation about belief, conviction and faith that resonates as strongly now as when it was written.
“Chris Campbell has achieved a wonderfully fresh, modern, funny, accessible translation of this masterpiece, staying completely faithful to the tremendous wit and skill of the original.
“We’re incredibly lucky to have assembled a virtuoso cast eager to explore the humanity and comedy of this profound play.”
The plot involves the seemingly perfect Tartuffe ingratiating himself with the wealthy Orgon and his mother Madame Pernelle. He is soon welcomed into their home and their lives.
His combination of charm, respectability and religious authority proves so irresistible that he is eventually promised the hand of Orgon’s daughter in marriage.
But the rest of Orgon’s family have grave doubts. Is there more to Tartuffe than meets the eye?
Mark Williams is known for his role as Arthur Weasley in the Harry Potter films and as a regular on BBC TV’s The Fast Show.
Most recently he played the title role in Father Brown for the BBC, a part for which he received a Midlands Royal Television Society best actor award.
Mark Williams’s theatre credits include Art in the West End, Fanshen at the National Theatre, Doctor of Honour for Cheek by Jowl, As You Like It for the Royal Shakespeare Company and Toast at the Royal Court Theatre.
Paul Hunter, actor, director, writer and founder of the Told By An Idiot company, plays Orgon. He works regularly with Shakespeare’s Globe and in the West End.
Janice Connolly (Madame Pernell) has worked in Birmingham for more than 35 years. She is artistic director of the Birmingham-based Women and Theatre and a stand-up comedienne as the character Mrs Barbara Nice.
Lichfield-born Sian Brooke plays Elmire. Her theatre credits include Neil Labute’s Reasons To Be Pretty and Stephen Poliakoff’s My City, both at the Almeida in 2011; Mike’s Leigh’s Ecstasy at the Duchess Theatre in the West End; Nick Payne’s Wanderlust at the Royal Court in 2010; A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet and King Lear for the RSC; and Harold Pinter’s The Birthday Party at the Lyric Hammersmith in 2008.
Making her professional stage debut is Dinita Gohil (Mariane) from Hodge Hill, Birmingham who graduated from Guildhall School of Music and Drama in June.
The cast also includes Ayesha Antoine (Dorine), Calum Finlay (Valere), Martin Hyder (Cleante), Ashley Kumar (Damis) and Roderick Smith (officer).
The production is designed by Liz Ascroft with lighting by Chahine Yavroyan and sound by Max and Ben Ringham.
Tartuffe runs at Birmingham REP from Friday (1 November) until Saturday 16 November. Press night will be on Wednesday, 6 November.