IMAGES RELEASED FOR RSC’s THE FAIR MAID OF THE WEST
DATE ISSUED: 3 NOVEMBER 2023
MEET NEW LANDLADY LIZ BRIDGES, PLAYED BY AMBER JAMES, AND STEP INSIDE THE REHEARSAL ROOM
Images of Amber James available here
Rehearsal images available here
Full casting release here
THE FAIR MAID OF THE WEST
Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
Saturday 2 December 2023 - Sunday 14 January 2024
Press Night: Tuesday 12 December
BOX OFFICE: 01789 331111 rsc.org.uk
The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) today released images of Amber James as Landlady Liz Bridges in The Fair Maid of the West, alongside a first look inside the rehearsal room to meet the full company of actor musicians.
Isobel McArthur’s new adaptation of The Fair Maid of the West by Thomas Heywood will run in the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon from Saturday 2 December 2023 to Sunday 14 January 2024, with the Press Night on Tuesday 12 December
Liz Bridges is an Elizabethan landlady who might seem ordinary, but it turns out that a life spent lending ears, mending hearts and serving beers has all been in preparation for the ultimate test of her character...
Commenting on the production, Isobel McArthur said: “One thing that excited me about staging a version of The Fair Maid of The West is how much of the action takes places in pubs. These theatres of the human condition! Where we may choose to perform or be the audience and all of human life plays out. So often in portside public houses a carousel of remarkable eccentrics pass through the harbours and doorways, leaving lasting impressions on all those bearing witness. Of course, all are in search of something: shelter, sustenance, company, often love.
“With this in mind, we knew we needed a cast who could bring great humour and heart, including brilliantly funny multi-rollers with keen dramaturgical minds, possessing of a great facility for both language and music. Our whole ensemble needed to be able to sing, play multiple musical instruments, move beautifully through Ana Inés Jabares Pita’s set and truly take over the Swan Theatre space with their luminescent, celebratory energy.”
Isobel McArthur is an Olivier Award winning actor, director and playwright. McArthur’s playwrighting credits include The Grand Old Opera House Hotel (Traverse Theatre Company with Dundee Rep Theatre), A Christmas Carol (Pitlochry Festival Theatre), Quiz! (National Theatre of Scotland/BBC Scotland) with joint credits as lead performer and playwright including How to Sing it (Tron Theatre) and Daphne Oram’s Wonderful World of Sound (Tron Theatre/Scottish Tour). Isobel trained the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and her acting credits include Ella Hickson’s Wendy & Peter Pan, Anthony Neilson’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Lyceum Theatre), the Scottish premiere of Mike Bartlett’s Cock (Tron Theatre), Temp/Casual (Contact Theatre) and Edwin Morgan’s Scots language Cyrano De Bergerac (National Theatre of Scotland/Citizens Theatre).
The Fair Maid of the West features Design by Ana Inés Jabares-Pita, Lighting by Sinéad McKenna, Music by Michael John McCarthy, Sound by Niamh Gaffney, Movement by Emily Jane Boyle, Dramaturgy by Pippa Hill, Fights by Claire Llewellyn. Casting is by Martin Poile.
The Fair Maid of the West
Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
Saturday 2 December 2023 - Sunday 14 January 2024
Press Night: Tuesday 12 December
Audio Described, Captioned and Chilled Performances: Friday 29 Dec 2023 - 7.30pm and Saturday 6 January 2024 - 1.30pm
Handheld Captioned Performance: Saturday 30th December 1.30pm
Performance with Integrated BSL Interpreter: Saturday 13 January 2024 - 1.30pm
Creative Team Talk: Monday 11 December 5.15-6pm
Post Show Stay Late: Thursday 28 December
The RSC is supported using public funding by Arts Council England <br bcx0"=""> The work of the RSC is supported by the Culture Recovery Fund
The RSC is generously supported by RSC America <br bcx0"=""> The Fair Maid of the West is generously supported by RSC Production Circle Member Kathleen J. Yoh and by the RSC Friends
TikTok £10 Tickets sponsored by TikTok
The RSC Acting Companies are generously supported by The Gatsby Charitable Foundation <br bcx0"=""> New Work at the RSC is generously supported by Hawthornden Foundation and The Drue and H.J. Heinz II Charitable Trust
The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) creates exceptional theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, London and around the world, performing plays by Shakespeare and his contemporaries, as well as commissioning a wide range of original work from contemporary writers. Our purpose is to ensure that Shakespeare – and theatre as a whole – is for everyone, and we do that by unlocking the power of his plays and live performance, and with our learning and education work throughout the UK and across the world.
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
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