RSC announce full casting for Gregory Doran’s 2023 production of CYMBELINE
Photo credit: Sara Beaumont
The RSC have announced full casting for their upcoming production of Cymbeline, directed by RSC Artistic Director Emeritus Gregory Doran, which runs in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from 22 April-27 May.
This production of Cymbeline marks Gregory’s 50th show that he has directed for the Royal Shakespeare Company, and will be his last as RSC Artistic Director Emeritus. Cymbeline is also the last play in Shakespeare’s First Folio, which this year celebrates 400 years since it was first published.
Gregory Doran said: “2023 is the 400th anniversary of the publication of Shakespeare’s First Folio. Without the Folio we would not have half of Shakespeare’s plays today, including many of his most famous and loved works. This year we are doing five of them. We opened the year with the first play to appear in that miraculous book, The Tempest, and I am directing the last one in it, Cymbeline.
“It happens to be my 50th production of the RSC, and I am delighted to be working on it with some long time collaborators: designer Stephen Brimson-Lewis, composer Paul Englishby, and movement director Síân Williams, as well as some familiar faces in the cast, many of whom I have had the privilege of working with on previous productions.
“I have often wondered why Cymbeline is the last play in the Folio. It is listed under the tragedies, but it could just as easily have been placed in the comedies or even the histories as it is set Ancient Britain at the time of the Romans. Though its thrilling story threatens to end in tragedy, its astonishing denouement is full of joy. I think the compilers of the Folio put Cymbeline at the end of the book because it defies categories and won’t be pinned down- that is what makes it so exciting.
“I am honoured to be opening Cymbeline as this year’s birthday play on Shakespeare’s birthday weekend, which coincides with the publication of a book. My Shakespeare: a director’s journey through the First Folio concludes with an epilogue as I set out on rehearsals for Cymbeline. When we open, I shall be able to say I have worked on every single play in that amazing life manual, Shakespeare’s First Folio.”
The company includes Peter De Jersey (The Threepenny Opera, National Theatre) as Cymbeline, Alexandra Gilbreath (Twelfth Night, RSC) as The Queen, Conor Glean (After Life, National Theatre) as Cloten, Scott Gutteridge (Under Milk Wood, National Theatre) will make his RSC debut as Guiderius, Mark Hadfield (Vanya and Masha and Sonya and Spike, Theatre Royal Bath) as Pisanio, Amber James (Wendy and Peter Pan, Leeds Playhouse) as Imogen, Christian Patterson (The American Clock, Old Vic) as Belarius, Ed Sayer (The Crown, Netflix) makes his RSC debut as Posthumus, Daf Thomas (Sid in For Once, Theatr Clwyd) will make his RSC debut as Arviragus, and Jamie Wilkes (The Comedy of Errors, Shakespeare’s Globe) as Iachimo.
Completing the cast are Jeff Alexander as Soothsayer, Adam Baker as Roman, Iwan Bond as Roman, Tom Chapman as Second Lord, Marcia Lecky as 1st Gent/Lady/Mother, Jake Mann as Cornelius, Theo Ogundipe as Caius Lucius, Keith Osborn as Philario/Sicilius, Barnaby Tobias as First Lord, and Cat White as 2nd Gent/Helen.
Directed by Gregory Doran, Cymbeline has design by Stephen Brimson-Lewis, lighting by Matt Daw, music by Paul Englishby, sound by Jonathan Ruddick, movement and intimacy direction by Siân Williams, puppetry direction by Rachel Leonard, music direction by Ben McQuigg, and casting by Helena Palmer CDG.
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