Casting announced for Regent's Park Open Air Pride and Prejudice

Full cast now announced for Regent's Park production and UK tour.

The Regent's Park Open Air Theatre have today announced full casting for their upcoming production of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen in an adaptation by Simon Reade which runs at their open air venue from 2 to 17 September 2016 ahead of a UK tour. 

The full cast will include Matthew Kelly (Mr. Bennet), Tafline Steen (Elizabeth Bennet), Benjamin Dilloway (Mr. Darcy), Doña Croll (Lady Catherine De Bourgh), Felicity Montagu (Mrs Bennet), Hollie Edwin (Jane Bennet), Mari Izzard (Lydia Bennet), Leigh Quinn (Mary Bennet/Annabel De Bourgh), Anna Crichlow (Kitty Bennet/Georgiana Darcy), Jordan Mifsúd (Mr. Bingley), Steven Meo (Mr. Collins), Daniel Abbott (Mr. Wickham), Kirsty Rider (Caroline Bingley), Francesca Bailey (Charlotte Lucas), Charlotte Palmer (Mrs. Gardiner) and Mark Rawlings (Sir William Lucas).

Pride and Prejudice is the third Regent's Park Open Air Theatre production to tour the UK, following their smash hit productions of To Kill a Mockingbird in 2014/15 and Lord of the Flies in 2015/16.

"One of the most universally loved and quintessentially English novels of all time, Pride and Prejudice tells the story of the Bennet family and their five unmarried daughters. A family of humble means, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet see the perfect opportunity to improve their social standing when the wealthy Mr. Bingley and his eligible friend Mr. Darcy move to the neighbourhood. But while Bingley takes an immediate liking to their eldest daughter Jane, the dismissive Darcy instantly clashes with the Bennet's headstrong second daughter, Elizabeth. As the Bennet sisters haplessly search for love in Jane Austen's ultimate romantic comedy, it is Mr Darcy who unwittingly finds his match."

First published in 1813 the novel has remained one of the most popular novels in English literature, selling over 20 million copies and spawning numerous adaptations. The Regent's Park Open Air Theatre production was first staged in 2013. Directed by Deborah Bruce it features design by Max Jones, costume design by Tom Piper, movement direction by Siân Williams, composition by Lillian Henley and sound design by Matt McKenzie.

Matthew Kelly's West End credits include Stanley in Funny Peculiar, Waiting For Godot with Ian McKellen and Roger Rees, Tim Firth's play Sign of the Times, the musical Lend Me A Tenor! and Lennie in Of Mice and Men which won him the Olivier Award for Best Actor.

Tafline Steen made her professional debut as Jess in King Charles III at the Almeida Theatre, before reprising her role in the West End and on Broadway.

Benjamin Dilloway has appeared on screen in Kingsman: The Secret Service, New Blood (BBC) and Silk (BBC), with stage work including Of Mice and Men (Birmingham Rep) and King Lear (Almeida Theatre).

Doña Croll is best known for her screen roles as Vera Corrigan in Doctors (BBC) and Pearl McHugh in Family Affairs (Channel 5), with theatre credits including All My Sons (Birmingham Rep), Heresy of Love (Royal Shakespeare Company) and The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Almeida Theatre).

Tickets for the production are now on sale.