Angus Jackson will make his Royal Shakespeare Theatre Company debut directing in Stratford the world première of Tom Morton-Smith’s Oppenheimer.
Angus Jackson directed Frank Langella in King Lear at Chichester Festival Theatre in 2013 and Brooklyn Academy of Music in 2014.
The play, set in 1930s America, is about J Robert Oppenheimer, known as “the father of the atom bomb”. John Heffernan, last with the RSC in 2007 for The Seagull and King Lear, returns to play the lead role. In 2013 he played the title role in Christopher Marlowe’s Edward II at the National Theatre.
The cast, also appearing in Thomas Dekker’s The Shoemaker’s Holiday, includes Ben Allen, Ross Armstrong, Daniel Boyd, Vincent Carmichael, Laura Cubitt, Hedydd Dylan, Sandy Foster, William Gaminara, Michael Grady-Hall, Jack Holden, Oliver Johnstone, Andrew Langtree, Joel MacCormack, Tom McCall, Josh O'Connor, Thomasin Rand, Catherine Steadman and Jamie Wilkes.
The play is designed by Robert Innes Hopkins. The lighting is designed by Paul Anderson with music by Grant Olding. Sound is by Christopher Shutt and movement by Scott Ambler.
Oppenheimer runs in the Swan Theatre from Thursday 15 January until Saturday 7 March. Press night will be on Thursday 22 January.