Ibsen's "Brand" at Haymarket 29 May 03

Ibsen's "Brand" at Haymarket 29 May 03

Theatre Royal Haymarket Productions and Stanhope Productions in association with the Royal Shakespeare Company will present a new production of Ibsen's Brand , starring Ralph Fiennes at the Haymarket theatre, opening on 4 June 03, following previews from 29 May 03, and booking to 30 August 03. It is directed by the RSC's Artistic Director, Adrian Noble.

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Brand (1866), is a symbolic tragedy about a priest, who follows his high principles.

Ralph Fiennes, (who will also be at the National Theatre in The Talking Cure from 6 Dec to 18 Jan 03), plays the title role in Ibsen's passionate portrait of the struggle between faith and human will. Ralph last appeared with the RSC in 1990, performing in Shakespeare's "King Lear", "Love's Labour's Lost" and "Troilus and Cressida".

The production runs at the Swan theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon before opening at the Theatre Royal Haymarket on 29 May for a 14 week run. Brand will be Adrian Noble's last production as Artistic Director of the RSC. He is succeeded in April 2003 by Michael Boyd.

The RSC's new relationship with the Theatre Royal Haymarket began earlier this year when the Company transferred Gregory Doran's "Much Ado About Nothing" and Michael Attenborough's "Antony and Cleopatra" from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford in July 2002.

Commenting on the production, Adrian Noble said:

"I've wanted to do Brand with Ralph for ages, so I'm delighted that it's finally happening. Ibsen's great plays are always popular with audiences, but Brand is rarely performed and so will be a new experience for many people.

"It's also great to see commercial producers backing classical theatre in the West End. The Theatre Royal Haymarket and Stanhope Productions are leading the way with their confidence to produce large scale classical theatre in the heart of London's theatreland.