Richard II by RSC with David Tennant at Barbican in Dec

The Royal Shakespeare Company has announced that David Tennant will star in the title role of Richard II, by William Shakespeare, at the Barbican Theatre, London, from 7 Dec 2013 to 25 Jan 2014, following an autumn run in Stratford-upon-Avon (10 October 2013 - 16 November 2013).

Public Booking is expected to open on 18 March 2013.

It is directed by RSC Artistic Director, Gregory Doran. The collaboration between David and Gregory follows on from the successful production of Hamlet in 2008. They will be joined by Oliver Ford Davies who also appeared in that production.

Richard is King. A monarch ordained by God to lead his people. But he is also a man of very human weakness. A man whose vanity threatens to divide the great houses of England and drag his people into a dynastic civil war that will last 100 years.

- by Darren Dalglish