Three world premières are to preview at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford.
Ella Hickson’s new adaptation of J M Barrie’s tale of the boy who never grows up, Wendy and Peter Pan, can be seen in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.
In the Swan Theatre, Mike Poulton adapts Hilary Mantel's award-winning novels about the rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell and Anne Boleyn, Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies.
Jonathan Munby directs Wendy and Peter Pan in which Fiona Button plays Wendy with Sam Swann as Peter Pan, Charlotte Mills as Tink and Guy Henry—returning to the RSC after ten years—playing Peter's nemesis Captain Hook.
Andrew Woodall and Emma Cunniffe will play Mr and Mrs Darling and the Darling children will be played by Jolyon Coy (John), Brodie Ross (Michael) and Colin Ryan (Tom).
They will be joined by Michelle Asante (Tiger Lily), Simon Carroll-Jones (shadow), Richard Clews (Knock Bone Jones), Matt Costain (Peter's shadow), Gregory Gudgeon (Smee), Susan Hingley (shadow), Emily Holt (shadow), Jack Horner (shadow), Arthur Kyeyune (Doc Giles / crocodile / shadow), Will Merrick (Slightly), Jack Monaghan (Nibs), Dodger Phillips (Murt the Bat), Guy Rhys (Doc Swain), Dafyyd Llyr Thomas (Curly), Jamie Wilkes (Martin) and Josh Williams (Tootles).
The play is designed by Colin Richmond with lighting by Oliver Fenwick. Music is composed by Olly Fox and sound by Christopher Shutt. Movement is by Michael Ashcroft, the fight director is Terry King and video design is by Ian William Galloway.
Wendy and Peter Pan previews from Tuesday (10 December) with press night on Wednesday, 18 December. It runs until 2 March.
Wolf Hall won the Man Booker in 2009 and Bring Up the Bodies won in 2012, making Mantel the first woman to receive the award twice. She achieved another first when Bring Up the Bodies won the Costa Novel Award—the first time a novel has won both accolades.
The cast for the two productions comprises Joey Batey (Mark Smeaton), Nicholas Boulton (Duke of Suffolk), Lucy Briers (Katherine of Aragon / Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford), Leah Brotherhead (Jane Seymour / Princess Mary / Lady Worcester), Alexander Cobb (Rafe Sadler), Olivia Darnley (Mary Boleyn / Lizzie / Mary Shelton), Nicholas Day (Duke of Norfolk), Daniel Fraser (Gregory Cromwell), Madeleine Hyland (lady-in-waiting / maid), Paul Jesson (Cardinal Wolsey / Cardinal Wolsey's ghost / Sir John Seymour / Kingston), Lydia Leonard (Anne Boleyn), Ben Miles (Thomas Cromwell), Pierro Niel Mee (Christophe / Francis Weston), Nathaniel Parker (King Henry VIII), Oscar Pearce (George Boleyn / Lord Rochford / Edward Seymour), Matthew Pidgeon (Stephen Gardiner / Eustache Chapuys), John Ramm (Thomas More / Harry Norris), Nicholas Shaw (Harry Percy / Brereton), Giles Taylor (Cranmer / Thomas Boleyn / Packington) and Jay Taylor (Thomas Wyatt).
The play is designed by Christopher Oram. The lighting is designed by Paule Constable (Wolf Hall) and David Plater (Bring up the Bodies), with sound by Nick Powell. Movement is by Siân Williams and music is composed by Stephen Warbeck.
Directed by Jeremy Herrin, the two plays preview in the Swan from Wednesday (11 December), with press performances on Wednesday 8 January. Both run until 29 March.