CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR RSC 2019 SEASON: AS YOU LIKE IT, THE TAMING OF THE SHREW & MEASURE FOR MEASURE
The collaborative, cross-cast company is announced for the Royal Shakespeare Company’s (RSC) productions of As You Like It, The Taming of the Shrew and Measure for Measure, playing in a newly reconfigured Royal Shakespeare Theatre next summer. All three productions will then tour in repertoire for the first time to six regional theatres in 2019 and 2020. The actors will each appear in two of the three plays performed as part of the Summer 2019 repertoire. Design for all three productions is by Stephen Brimson Lewis, Director of Design for the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Gregory Doran, Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, said: “Hamlet says the point of theatre is “to hold a mirror up to Nature”. If as a young person you don’t see your reflection in that mirror, why should you engage in that cultural offer?
So this season we have worked particularly hard to assemble a company which reflects the nation in ways it has never done before. We have introduced a 50/50 gender balanced ensemble across the entire season for the very first time and brought together talent from all corners of the United Kingdom, reflecting both the ethnic, geographical and cultural diversity of Britain today and those artists that are underrepresented on our stages. We want to create a season of work which places contemporary audiences at its heart, which speaks directly to the present moment. I’ve always been struck by Shakespeare’s use of the word ‘now’. It’s his favourite word. He starts plays with it (“Now is the winter of our discontent”), introduces choruses with it (‘Now entertain conjecture of a time”). “Now, now, very now”! It takes you right into the moment. The stories he tells may have been written down hundreds of years ago but they’re happening now, to all of us. I hope this season will express the Now, now, very now-ness of Shakespeare’s plays”.
AS YOU LIKE IT
Following her roles in Dido Queen of Carthage, Julius Caesar and Antony & Cleopatra in 2017, Lucy Phelps returns to play Rosalind in Kimberley Sykes’ new production of As You Like It. She will be joined by David Ajao as Orlando whose previous productions for the RSC include The Merchant of Venice, Othello and Hecuba.
The full cast includes Charlotte Arrowsmith (Audrey), Patrick Brennan (Corin), Graeme Brookes (Charles/Forester), Antony Byrne (Duke Senior/Duke Frederick), Richard Clews (Adam), Tom Dawze (William), Amelia Donkor (Silvia), Laura Elsworthy (Phoebe), Sandy Grierson (Touchstone), Emily Johnstone (Amiens/Le Beau), Alex Jones (A Lord), Karina Jones (Martext), Sophie Khan Levy (Celia), Sophie Stanton (Jaques), Aaron Thiara (Jaques de Bois/Dennis) and Leo Wan (Oliver).
Stephen Brimson Lewis will design the set for As You Like It with Bretta Gerecke designing both costumes and lighting in a first for the RSC. Music is composed by Tim Sutton, with sound by Jonathan Ruddick and movement by Ayse Tashkiran. Fights by Rachel Bown-Williams and Ruth Cooper-Brown.
THE TAMING OF THE SHREW
Claire Price will play Petruchia and Joseph Arkley will play Katherine in Justin Audibert’s reimagined staging of The Taming of the Shrew and will do so among a cast where women play the roles written as men and men play those written as women.
The full cast includes Charlotte Arrowsmith (Curtis), Hannah Azuonye (Pedant), Melody Brown (Vincentia), Richard Clews (Grumio), James Cooney (Bianco), Amelia Donkor (Hortensia), Laura Elsworthy (Trania), Amanda Harris (Baptista), Emily Johnstone (Lucentia), Alex Jones (Haberdasher), Alexander Mushore (Servant), Michael Patrick (Tailor), Sophie Stanton (Gremia) Aaron Thiara (Servant of Petruchia) Amy Trigg (Biondella) and Leo Wan (Widower).
The set for The Taming of the Shrew is designed by Stephen Brimson Lewis with costume design by Hannah Clark and lighting by Matt Peel. Music is composed by Ruth Chan, sound by Claire Windsor, and movement by Lucy Cullingford. Fights are by Rachel Bown-Williams and Ruth Cooper-Brown.
MEASURE FOR MEASURE
Sandy Grierson, who took on the roles of Faustus and Mephistopheles in Maria Aberg’s 2016 production of Dr Faustus will play Angelo in Gregory Doran’s new staging of Measure for Measure. Following his performance as Antony in Antony and Cleopatra, Antony Byrne returns to play The Duke. They are joined by Lucy Phelps in the role of Isabella.
Full casting for Measure for Measure includes David Ajao (Pompey), Joseph Arkley (Lucio), Hannah Azuonye (Lady), Patrick Brennan (Abhorson/Friar Thomas), Graeme Brookes (Mistress Overdone/Barnadine), Melody Brown (Justice), James Cooney (Claudio), Tom Dawze (Froth), Amanda Harris (Provost), Karina Jones (Sister Francisca), Sophie Khan Levy (Mariana), Alexander Mushore (Gent), Michael Patrick (Elbow), Claire Price (Escalus) and Amy Trigg (Juliet).
The set and costumes for Measure for Measure are designed by RSC Director of Design, Stephen Brimson Lewis, with lighting by Simon Spencer. Music is composed by Paul Englishby. Sound is by Steven Atkinson, and fights are by Rachel Bown-Williams and Ruth Cooper-Brown.
Notes to Editors:
ROYAL SHAKESPEARE THEATRE
As You Like It by William Shakespeare
Directed by Kimberley Sykes
14 February – 31 August 2019
Press night: Thursday 21 February 2019, 7pm
Broadcast Live from Stratford-upon-Avon 17 April
The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
Directed by Justin Audibert
8 March – 31 August 2019
Press night: Tuesday 19 March 2019, 7pm
Broadcast Live from Stratford-upon-Avon 5 June
Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare
Directed by Gregory Doran
28 June – 29 August 2019
Press night: Thursday 4 July 2019, 7pm
Broadcast Live from Stratford-upon-Avon 31 July
For further information, please contact kate.evans@rsc.org.uk 01789 412 622
For press tickets please contact dean.asker@rsc.org.uk 01789 412660
To book tickets call 01789 403493 or online at www.rsc.org.uk
BP £5 tickets and BP Shakespeare Pass for 16-25s
The BP £5 tickets and BP Shakespeare Pass for 16 – 25 year olds gives access to £5 tickets for all RSC productions whether we are performing in Stratford-upon-Avon, London or on tour. The pass enables 16-25 year olds to see five shows in Stratford-upon-Avon for £20 – the cheapest way to enjoy shows at the RSC. Tickets can be booked in advance on the phone, online or in person with some available for sale on the day of the performance. This programme is supported by BP.
Royal Shakespeare Theatre productions sponsored by Darwin Escapes
Darwin Escapes currently operate 1 golf retreat and 21 luxurious holiday locations across the UK offering holiday breaks and holiday home ownership. A wide variety of holiday styles are accommodated, ranging from romantic boutique escapes to luxury lodge retreats and traditional family focused holiday parks, all of which boast state-of-the-art and diverse accommodation and on-site facilities including spas, gyms, restaurants and activities. The company strives to raise the standards of the UK holiday park industry and to ultimately provide the best possible experience for holiday makers and holiday home owners by creating brand new destinations in stunning UK locations with accommodation and resort facilities that rival those of 5 star hotels. For further information about Darwin Escapes and its numerous holiday destinations and facilities visit www.darwinescapes.co.uk or follow them on Twitter or Facebook: @DarwinEscapes
The RSC Acting Companies are generously supported by THE GATSBY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION and THE KOVNER FOUNDATION
Live From Stratford-upon-Avon is generously supported by SIDNEY E. FRANK FOUNDATION.
The Royal Shakespeare Company creates theatre at its best, made in Stratford-upon-Avon and shared around the world. We produce an inspirational artistic programme each year, setting Shakespeare in context, alongside the work of his contemporaries and today’s writers.
Everyone at the RSC - from actors to armourers, musicians to technicians - plays a part in creating the world you see on stage. All our productions begin life at our Stratford workshops and theatres and we bring them to the widest possible audience through our touring, residencies, live broadcasts and online activity. So wherever you experience the RSC, you experience work made in Shakespeare’s home town.
We have trained generations of the very best theatre makers and we continue to nurture the talent of the future. We encourage everyone to enjoy a lifelong relationship with Shakespeare and live theatre. We reach 530,000 children and young people annually through our education work, transforming their experiences in the classroom, in performance and online. Registered charity no. 212481 www.rsc.org.uk
Arts Council England is the national development body for arts and culture across England, working to enrich people’s lives. We support a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to visual art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections. Great art and culture inspires us, brings us together and teaches us about ourselves and the world around us. In short, it makes life better. Between 2018 and 2022, we will invest £1.45 billion of public money from government and an estimated £860 million from the National Lottery to help create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country. www.artscouncil.org.uk
