LISTINGS Original artwork by John Couzens Shakespeare's Globe
Shakespeare’s Globe 2008 Theatre Season opens King Lear
Photo by Hugo Glendinning
Shakespeare’s Globe launches its 2008 theatre season on Shakespeare’s birthday, Wednesday 23 April, with artistic director Dominic Dromgoole’s production of King Lear. David Calder, one of Britain’s finest actors, will play the title role, with Sally Bretton as Goneril, Kellie Bright as Regan and Jodie McNee as Cordelia. Rising star Danny Lee Wynter, who recently appeared as Joe in Stephen Poliakoff’s films Joe’s Palace and Capturing Mary, will play the fool. King Lear is one of the most far-reaching artistic explorations of the human condition, with its tempestuous poetry shot through with touches of humour and moments of heart-rending simplicity. This production will reunite Dominic Dromgoole (director), Jonathan Fensom (designer) and Claire van Kampen (composer) after their stunning production of Love’s Labours Lost in 2007. David Calder has worked extensively for the Royal Shakespeare Company including performances as Prospero and Shylock. He is well known for his television role as Dr Robert Bramwell in the series Bramwell and is currently appearing as Lord Cawston in BBC’s The Last Enemy. David’s recent theatre work includes Rock ‘n’ Roll (West End), Five Gold Rings and Conversations After a Burial (Almeida), and The Little Foxes (Donmar). Sally Bretton returns to the Globe after her 2006-07 performances of Heloise in In Extremis. Sally’s television work includes Lucy in Not Going Out, Cat Durnford in Absolute Power, Kim Albaster in Green Wing and Donna in The Office. Kellie Bright’s recent stage work includes A Conversation, Love and Money and Mary Barton (Manchester Royal Exchange), and Whipping it Up (West End). She is best known for her roles as Cassie Tyler in television’s Bad Girls, Joanna Burrows in The Upper Hand and as Ali G’s girlfriend ‘Me Julie’ in the film Ali G Indahouse. Jodie McNee’s recent working includes The Burial at Thebes (Nottingham Playhouse) Cymbeline and The Changeling (Cheek by Jowl) and Mother Courage and her Children (ETT) Dominic Dromgoole, Artistic Director of Shakespeare's Globe, directed Coriolanus and Antony and Cleopatra for the 2006 season and Love’s Labour’s Lost for the 2007 season. He was Artistic Director of the Oxford Stage Company, 1999-2005, and the Bush Theatre 1990-96, and Director of New Plays for the Peter Hall Company in 1996/7. In addition he has directed at the Tricycle Theatre, in the West-End, and in America and Romania. Also an author, his books include The Full Room (2001) and Will and Me (2006). King Lear is part of the Totus Mundustheatre season this year at Shakespeare’s Globe which includes Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Merry Wives of Windsor and Timon of Athens, and two world premières, The Frontline (by Ché Walker) and Liberty (by Glyn Maxwell) and Footbarn Theatre’s Shakespeare Party. ENDS NOTES TO EDITORS King Lear cast and creative team: Director Dominic Dromgoole Listings information: Booking:
Shakespeare’s Globe Access Line 020 7902 1409 or email sally@shakespearesglobe.com Website:
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Shakespeare’s Sparkling Comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Plays at the Globe this Summer
Shakespeare’s Globe’s 2008 Theatre Season continues with A Midsummer Night’s Dream directed by Jonathan Munby. Siobhan Redmond, known for her extensive stage and TV work, will play Titania/Hippolyta, with Tom Mannion as Oberon/Theseus. Cast as the lovers, Christopher Brandon will play Lysander, with Pippa Nixon as Hermia, Oliver Boot as Demetrius and Laura Rogers as Helena. Michael Jibson will be taking the role of Puck and Paul Hunter will be playing Bottom. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of Shakespeare’s most sparkling comedies and contains some of his most dazzling dramatic poetry. From the harsh Draconian court of Athens to the wild freedom of the woods, individuals fight to establish who they are. Sexuality, identity and trust are explored in a world where nothing is quite what it seems, where the boundaries of reality are blurred and where our worst fears become a living nightmare. This production will use live music, dance and use of every inch of the Globe’s unique space in order take a fresh new look at this magical play. This production reunites long-term, award-winning collaborators Jonathan Munby (Director), Mike Britton (Designer) and Olly Fox (Composer). Siobhan Redmond’s stage career includes Much Ado About Nothing (Royal Shakespeare Company), Perfect Days (West End), An Experienced Woman Gives Advice (Manchester Royal Exchange), and Mary Stuart (National Theatre of Scotland). Her extensive work in television includes The Smoking Room and Holby City (BBC), The Bill (ITV) and her role as Detective Sergeant Maureen Connell in the BBC series Between The Lines. Tom Mannion’s recent television credits include Casualty and New Tricks (BBC), Taggart and Belle de Jour (ITV). His stage work includes Lophakin in The Cherry Orchard (Crucible Theatre), Antony in Antony and Cleopatra (Manchester Royal Exchange) Benedict in Much Ado About Nothing (Open Air Regent’s Park) and Ford in The Merry Wives of Windsor (Royal Shakespeare Company). A Midsummer Night’s Dream is part of the Totus Mundustheatre season, which opens early this year on April 23 to mark Shakespeare’s Birthday, and includes Shakespeare’s King Lear, The Merry Wives of Windsor and Timon of Athens, and three world premières, The Frontline (by Ché Walker) and Liberty (by Glyn Maxwell) and Footsbarn Theatre’s Shakespeare Party. ENDS NOTES TO EDITORS A Midsummer Night’s Dream cast and creative team: Director Jonathan Munby Listings information: Booking: Education Events: Access: Website:
The Merry Wives of Windsor at Shakespeare’s Globe Sunday 8 June – Sunday 5 October 2008
This summer, Shakespeare’s Globe’s is thrilled to present its first production of The Merry Wives of Windsor. This ancestor of English bourgeois comedy laid the foundations for the modern TV sitcom, and director Christopher Luscombe has assembled a wonderful cast, which includes Christopher Benjamin as Falstaff, Serena Evans as Mistress Page, Sarah Woodward as Mistress Ford and Sue Wallace as Mistress Quickly.
With its physical gags, linguistic jokes and vivid characters, The Merry Wives of Windsor is a brilliantly constructed farce and the only comedy Shakespeare set in his native land.
Christopher Luscombe reunites with designer Janet Bird, following their production of The Comedy of Errors at the Globe in 2006. Their strong director-designer partnership includes A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), The Rocky Horror Show (national tour), Enjoy (Watford Palace Theatre) and Arms and the Man (Salisbury Playhouse).
They are joined by composer Nigel Hess, who has won numerous awards, including the New York Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music in a Play for Much Ado About Nothing and Cyrano de Bergerac on Broadway.
Christopher Benjamin is Falstaff whose recent theatre work includes All Mouth (Menier Chocolate Factory); A Voyage Around my Father at the Donmar Warehouse and Wyndams Theatre; Twelfth Night (National Tour) and Henry IV Part I (Regents Park Open Air Theatre).
Serena Evans is best known for her role as Sergeant Dawkins in TV’s The Thin Blue Line. Her stage work includes Once in a Lifetime (National Theatre), Blue Eyes and Heels (Soho Theatre) and Candida (Oxford Stage Company).
Sarah Woodward’s recent work includes Present Laughter (National Theatre), the title role in Lady Macbeth (Regents Park Open Air Theatre) and The Comedy of Errors (Shakespeare’s Globe).
Sue Wallace’s recent stage credits include Enjoy (Watford Palace Theatre), The Mortal Ash and Albert Nobbs (Oldham Coliseum).
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
The Merry Wives of Windsor cast and creative team: The full cast is – Nathan Amzi; Gareth Armstrong; William Belchambers; Christopher Benjamin; Philip Bird; Serena Evans; Otto Farrant; Peter Gale; Michael Garner; Gregory Dudgeon; Andrew Havill; Edward Macliam; Harry Manton; Ellie Piercy; Timothy Speyer; Jonty Stephens; Sue Wallace; Paul Woodson and Sarah Woodward
Director Christopher Luscombe Designer Janet Bird Composer Nigel Hess Choreographer Jenny Arnold
Listings information: The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare 8 June – 5 October at Shakespeare’s Globe Press night – Wednesday 18 June at 7.30pm Midnight Matinee – Friday 4 July
Booking: Phone 020 7401 9919 or 020 7087 7398 In person Mon-Fri 10am-6pm (8pm on performance days) Sundays 10am-5pm (7pm on performances days) On-line www.shakespeares-globe.org Tickets £5.00 - £33.00
Education Events: Childsplay Workshops (8-11year olds) – Saturdays at 1.30 pm Setting the Scene pre-performance at 6.00pm – Tuesdays at 6pm Talking Theatre (post matinee) – Wednesdays and Saturdays ‘Around’ The Merry Wives of Windsor weekend course: 8-10 August
Access: Sign Language-interpreted performance – Saturday 12 July at 2pm Audio Described performance – Sunday 14 September at 1pm
Shakespeare’s Globe Access Line 020 7902 1409 or email
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