CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR RSC PRODUCTION OF JULIUS CAESAR
Saturday 18 March - Saturday 8 April 2023
Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
followed by 9 date tour of England, Thursday 20 April – Saturday 24 June 2023
Press Night: Tuesday 28 March, 7pm
https://www.rsc.org.uk/julius-caesar
Box Office for run in Stratford-upon-Avon: 01789 331111
Publicity images of Thalissa Teixeira who plays Brutus can be downloaded here
Photos of the cast and director can be downloaded here
The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) has today announced casting for its forthcoming production of Shakespeare’s political thriller, Julius Caesar, running between 18 March – 8 April 2023 in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, before a nine date tour of England visiting Canterbury, Truro, Bradford, Newcastle upon Tyne, Blackpool, Nottingham, Norwich, York and Salford between 20 April – 24 June. Full tour details at the end of the release.
This visceral new production is directed by Atri Banerjee, and will feature Thalissa Teixeira as Brutus and Kelly Gough as Cassius, in the roles of the leaders who plot to kill Caesar.
Talking about the production, Atri Banerjee said:
“I’m thrilled to be welcoming this extraordinary cast to our production of Julius Caesar. In particular, I’m delighted that audiences will get to see Thalissa Teixeira and Kelly Gough as, respectively, Brutus and Cassius. Along with several other parts across the company, we’ve re-imagined these roles to tell a story about power today: who holds it, who wields it, and who gets to challenge it.
“Julius Caesar is the perfect play for our age of emergency, asking uncomfortable questions about today. When asked to imagine a better future for us all, what resources do we have left? What are the limits of peaceful activism? How far would you, personally, go, to make the world a better place?
“By thinking of the roles in this play across intersectional lines - gender, race, class, disability, among others - we’re inviting audience members to think of their own place within the status quo and what might be at stake for each of us within it.
“Thalissa and Kelly are two formidable actors and I’m so excited for their take on this central character relationship, within the context of an extraordinary cast of 19 from across the nation. I can’t wait to show audiences, both in Stratford and on tour, Shakespeare’s searing political tragedy, as pertinent now as it ever was.”
Thalissa Teixeira makes her RSC debut as Brutus. Thalissa earned an Ian Charleson award nomination for her role in Electra at The Old Vic, and in 2021 she was named a Screen International Star of Tomorrow. Other theatre credits include Dr Semmelweis (Bristol Old Vic), Women Beware Women, Othello, The Broken Heart, The Changeling (Shakespeare’s Globe), Blood Wedding (Young Vic), Yerma (Young Vic, Park Avenue Armoury), Julie (National Theatre) and The Night Watch (Manchester Royal Exchange). On television she has played Gemma in Trigonometry (BBC Two), DI Emily Baxter in Ragdoll (Sid Gentle/AMC), and Madge Shelton in Anne Boleyn (Channel 5), as well as appearing in The Musketeers (BBC), Too Close (ITV) and Two Weeks To Live (Sky). Most recent projects include the short film We Met Before, which Thalissa wrote and directed.
Also appearing with the RSC for the first time is Kelly Gough as Cassius. Other theatre credits include The House of Shades (Almeida Theatre), the one-woman show Harm (Bush Theatre), A Streetcar Named Desire (English Touring Theatre), Don Carlos (ARA), Macbeth (Second Age), All In The Timing (Iris Theatre), Big Love (Abbey Theatre), Falling Out of Love (Yew Tree Theatre), Macbecks (Long Road Productions), Pilgrims of the Night (Rough Magic), Playboy of the Western World (Druid Theatre), and Phaedra, Vinegar Tom, Terrorism, Three Sisters, Twelfth Night and Yeats Trilogy (Samuel Beckett Theatre).
On film Kelly has appeared in Tarrac, Out of Innocence, Kill Command, Jump and Belonging to Laura. Television credits include Grace, Marcella, Shadow and Bone, Call the Midwife, Broadchurch, Vera, Casualty, Law & Order and Raw. Kelly speaks fluent Irish and was nominated for Richard Harris Actor of the year at the Oireachtas Irish language media awards in 2014 for her portrayal of Alix in BBC Northern Ireland drama Scúp.
William Robinson makes his RSC debut as Mark Antony. Other theatre credits include Britannicus (Lyric Hammersmith), Bacon (Finborough Theatre) and Romeo and Juliet (Young Shakespeare Co.) Television credits include Masters of the Air (Apple TV) and Cuffs (BBC). William has appeared in the feature film God’s Spy, and the short films Femme (Agile Films) and Queens (Orange Door Productions).
Nigel Barrett (Julius Caesar), Nadi Kemp-Sayfi (Portia) and Jimena Larraguivel (Calpurnia) all make a welcome return to the RSC.
Nigel Barrett’s previous RSC credits include: Kingdom Come and Richard III - An Arab Tragedy. Other theatre credits include Kidstown (National Theatre Wales), Little Bits of Ruined Beauty (Pentabus), Britannicus (Lyric Hammersmith), I Am Kevin, 100:Unearthed (Wildworks), Living Newspaper (Royal Court), Pops (Edinburgh/High Tide Festival), The Mysteries (Royal Exchange Manchester), Party Skills for the End of the World (Manchester International Festival/ Shoreditch Town Hall), Margate/Dreamland (National Theatre/ Shoreditch Town Hall), Get Stuff Break Free, The Eye Test (National Theatre) and The Passion (National Theatre of Wales). Film and television credits include Doctors, Casualty, The Mysteries, Coast, The Lens, Crimewatch (BBC) and England My England (Film 4).
Nadi Kemp-Sayfi’s previous RSC credits include The Whip, A Museum in Baghdad and King John. Other theatre credits include Hakawatis: Women of the Arabian Nights, The Tempest, Much Ado About Nothing, Hamlet, Twelfth Night and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare’s Globe), War with the Newts (Knaïve Theatre), Wake, Mittwoch Aus Licht, Life is a Dream (Birmingham Opera Company), 101 Dalmatians, Between The Two, Three Wheels on the Wagon, The Witches’ Promise, Under The Stars (Birmingham Rep), Hijabi Monologues (The Bush Theatre), Phone Home (Upstart Theatre & Creative Europe), Save our School Dinners… Jamie! (Belgrade Theatre Coventry & Old Rep) and Burning Books and She (Arena Theatre). Radio credits include The Archers and Words and Music.
Jimena Larraguivel’s previous RSC credits include Day of the Living. Other theatre credits include A Fight Against (Royal Court Theatre), Dear Elizabeth (Gate Theatre), Love in the Time of Corona (Jermyn Street Theatre), Queen of Mexico (Omnibus Theatre), Faces in the Crowd (Gate Theatre), Shakespeare Walks and Shakespeare within the Abbey (Shakespeare’s Globe) and The House of Bernarda Alba (Cervantes Theatre). Television credits include Apple Tree Yard, and film credits include Spider-Man: Far From Home.
The full cast is: Jamal Ajala (Lucius), Mercedes Assad (Marullus/Artemidorus), Annabel Baldwin (Soothsayer), Nigel Barrett (Julius Caesar), Matt Ray Brown (Cicero), Matthew Bulgo (Casca), Ella Dacres (Octavius Caesar), Joshua Dunn (Cinna The Poet/Popilius/Carpenter), Katie Erich (Caius Ligarius/Cobbler), Niamh Finlay (Pindarus), Kelly Gough (Cassius), Gina Isaac (Decius Brutus), Robert Jackson (Flavius/Cinna The Conspirator), Tom Kanji (Metellus Cimber/Lepidus), Nadi Kemp-Sayfi (Portia), Jimena Larraguivel (Calpurnia), Pedro Leandro (Trebonius), William Robinson (Mark Antony) and Thalissa Teixeira (Brutus).
After its run in Stratford-upon-Avon Julius Caesar will visit nine venues across the country including RSC Partner Theatres. This marks the beginning of an ambitious three-year programme to expand the reach of the Company’s national touring footprint. The focus is on co-creation with the communities the RSC serves at the heart of its theatre-making, and is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
The production will also feature a Community Chorus. There will be a different group of people playing the Chorus in each venue the production visits, with each group made up of community leaders, workers and volunteers from the local area. This production of Julius Caesar explores questions such as gender in leadership and power, and the Chorus will provide a commentary on the politics of the play from the perspective of identities that have been marginalised, either at different points in history or in our world today. Recruitment is currently taking place, and the RSC anticipates that those participating will include teachers, support workers, campaigners and faith leaders.
Director, Atri Banerjee won The Stage Debut Award for Best Director, and a UK Theatre Award nomination for his production of Hobson’s Choice at the Royal Exchange Manchester. Other credits include The Glass Menagerie (Royal Exchange Manchester), Britannicus (Lyric Hammersmith), Kes (Octagon Theatre, Bolton/Theatre By The Lake, Keswick), Harm (Bush Theatre, also broadcast on BBC Four), and Utopia (Royal Exchange Theatre). Last year Atri was named in The Stage 25 list of theatre-makers to look out for in 2022 and beyond, and in November 2022, along with Rachel Bagshaw, he was awarded a Peter Hall bursary by the National Theatre, which will support Atri in developing work for the NT’s stages.
Atri’s role was recruited through OpenHire, a new initiative which aims to improve transparency and access to freelance creative jobs in theatre.
Joining Atri on the creative team are: Rosanna Vize (Set Designer and Co-Costume Designer), Tomás Palmer (Co-Costume Designer), Lee Curran (Lighting), Jasmin Kent Rodgman (Music), Claire Windsor (Sound), Jennifer Jackson (Movement), Rachel Bown-Williams and Ruth Cooper-Brown (Fights), Alison Bomber (Voice and Text) and Matthew Dewsbury CDG (Casting).
For more press information please contact:
Dean Asker, Senior Media Relations Officer, Royal Shakespeare Company
dean.asker@rsc.org.uk
0778 9937759
LISTINGS INFORMATION
Julius Caesar
Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
Saturday 18 March - Saturday 8 April 2023
Press night: Tuesday 28 March 2023
followed by nine date tour, Thursday 20 April – Saturday 24 June 2023.
Directed by Atri Banerjee
www.rsc.org.uk/Julius-caesar
Audio described and captioned performances in Stratford-upon-Avon: Saturday 1 April, 1.15pm and Thursday 6 April, 1.15pm
Chilled performance in Stratford-upon-Avon: Thursday 6 April, 1.15pm
UK Tour:
Thursday 20 – Saturday 22 April, The Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury
Tuesday 25 April – Saturday 29 April, Hall for Cornwall, Truro
Tuesday 2 May – Saturday 6 May, Alhambra, Bradford
Tuesday 9 – Saturday 13 May, Theatre Royal, Newcastle
Tuesday 16 – Saturday 20 May, Grand Theatre, Blackpool
Tuesday 23 – Saturday 27 May, Theatre Royal, Nottingham
Tuesday 6 – Saturday 10 June, Theatre Royal, Norwich
Tuesday 13 – Saturday 17 June, York Theatre Royal
Tuesday 20 – Saturday 24 June, The Lowry, Salford
Julius Caesar. A divisive leader who holds awesome power.
Concerned that Caesar seems dangerous, revolutionaries take the violent decision to murder him. They have no plan for what comes next. As the world spins out of control, chaos, horror and superstition rush in the fill the void. Civil war erupts and a new leader must rise: but at what cost?
Shakespeare's political thriller exposes the ambiguity in trying to shift power. As we rage against the crises surrounding us, how far will we each go for our political principles?
NOTES TO EDITORS
The RSC is supported using public funding by Arts Council England
The RSC is generously supported by RSC America
The work of the RSC is supported by the Culture Recovery Fund
The tour of Julius Caesar is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England
TikTok £10 Tickets sponsored by TikTok
The RSC Acting Companies are generously supported by The Gatsby Charitable Foundation
Arts Council England
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
Royal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company creates world class theatre, made in Stratford-upon-Avon and shared around the world, performing plays by Shakespeare and his contemporaries, as well as commissioning an exceptionally wide range of original work from contemporary writers. Our purpose is to ensure that Shakespeare is for everyone, and we do that by unlocking the power of his plays and of live performance, throughout the UK and across the world.
We believe everybody’s life is enriched by culture and creativity. We have trained generations of the very best theatre makers and we continue to nurture the talent of the future. Our transformative Learning Programmes reach over half a million young people and adults each year, and through our Placemaking and Public Programme we create projects with and for communities who have not historically engaged with our work. We are a leader in creative immersive technologies and digital development.
We have a proud record of innovation, diversity and excellence on stage and are determined to grasp the opportunity to become an even more inclusive, progressive, relevant and ambitious organisation.
We are committed to being a teaching and learning theatre – in which we create world class theatre for, with and by audiences and theatre makers of all ages. We provide training for emerging and established theatre makers and arts professionals, for teachers and for young people. We share learning formally and informally. We embed training and research across our company, work and processes.
We recognise the climate emergency and work hard to embed environmental sustainability into our operations, creative work and business practice, making a commitment to continually reduce our carbon footprint.
Keep Your RSC supports our mission to create theatre at its best, unlocking Shakespeare and transforming lives. Thousands of generous audience members, trusts and foundations and partners supported Keep Your RSC in 2020 and, alongside a £19.4 million loan from the Culture Recovery Fund, we are thrilled to be welcoming audiences back. It will take time to recover, to reopen all our theatres, and many years to repay the loan and the support and generosity of our audiences is more important than ever. Please donate at rsc.org.uk/donate
