Full casting has been announced for the RSC’s upcoming production of The Tempest, which plays in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from 26 January-4 March 2023.

Alex Kingston (Doctor Who, ER) will return to the RSC to play Prospero, alongside Jessica Rhodes, who makes her debut with the Royal Shakespeare Company playing Miranda.

They are joined by Jamie Ballard (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, West End) as Antonio, Ishia Bennison (Once We Were Mothers, Orange Tree Theatre) as Gonzalo, Grace Cookey-Gam (Persuasion, Rose Theatre Kingston) as Sebastian, Peter De Jersey (The Threepenny Opera, National Theatre) as Alonso, Heledd Gwynn (Richard III, Headlong) as Ariel, Joseph Payne (Antigone, Mercury Theatre Colchester) as Ferdinand, Tommy Sim’aan (As You Like It, Globe Theatre) as Caliban, Simon Startin (Artistic Director of Vital Xposure) as Stephano, and Cath Whitefield (Into the Woods, Theatre Royal Bath) as Trinculo.

Completing the company are Natalia Campbell as Goddess, Tina Chiang as Master, Liz Jadav as Goddess, Jonny Khan as Francisco, Natalie Kimmerling as Sailor, David Lee-Jones as Adrian, David Osmond as Sailor, Rodrigo Peñalosa Pita as Boatswain, Jessica Rhodes as Miranda, and Imogen Slaughter as Goddess.

Directed by Elizabeth Freestone, The Tempest has set and co-costume design by Tom Piper, co-costume design by Natasha Ward, lighting by Johanna Town, music and sound by Adrienne Quartly, movement by Sarita Piotrowski, puppetry direction and design by Rachael Canning, and casting by Helena Palmer CDG.

The world is out of kilter. Political unrest and an unsettled climate make for stormy times.

People are out of kilter, too. Sibling rivalry and family ruptures cause heartache and uneasy souls.

On an island full of noises, a mother and daughter strike a truce with nature to survive. Then one day, their long-lost enemies sail into view on the horizon. Against the power of a furious sea, the reunited foes are forced to confront their pasts and themselves.

The Tempest asks us to examine the delicate balance in our personal relationships as well as with the fragile ecosystems around us. What damage do we do to each other – and to the natural world? In the end, young love brings hope for a better life: perhaps healing ourselves and mending the planet are one and the same thing.

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