Further casting for The Bridge Project!

Further casting for The Bridge Project!

Further casting has been confirmed for THE BRIDGE PROJECT, at the Old Vic Theatre May-August 2009.

Sam Mendes directs a transatlantic company of actors in a double-bill of classic works for The Bridge Project inaugural 2009 season which pairs a new adaptation of The Cherry Orchard by Tom Stoppard with The Winter's Tale.

The Bridge Project is a series of co-productions between The Old Vic, Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) and Neal Street Productions. Each year a single British/American company will perform a double-bill of classic works at BAM (in New York) and at The Old Vic (London), and make several international visits. In year one, the company will travel to Auckland, Singapore, Madrid and Recklinghausen.

Simon Russell Beale, leads the British/American cast, playing Lopakhin in The Cherry Orchard and Leontes in The Winter's Tale joined by Sinead Cusack as Madame Ranevskaya and Paulina, Richard Easton as Firs and Old Shepherd/Time, Rebecca Hall as Varya and Hermione, Josh Hamilton as Yasha and Polixenes, and Ethan Hawke as Trofimov and Autolycus.

The plays are designed by Anthony Ward, costumes by Catherine Zuber, lighting by Paul Pyant, and sound Paul Arditti.

Rehearsals for The Cherry Orchard and The Winter's Tale commence in Brooklyn in October 2008. The plays will run at BAM, January-March 2009 then embark on an international tour March-May taking residencies in Singapore at DBS Arts Centre (home of the Singapore Repertory Theatre), in Auckland at The EDGE Performing Arts Centre, in Madrid at Teatro Español, and in Germany at Ruhrfestspiele Recklinghausen, before arriving for a season of both plays in rep at The Old Vic, May-August 2009.

(public booking opens October 2008 for the Old Vic run)