Judi Dench at Stratford-Upon-Avon from 3 Dec 03, before transferring to London Feb 04

Judi Dench at Stratford-Upon-Avon from 3 Dec 03, before transferring to London Feb 04

The Royal Shakespeare Company announced today that Dame Judi Dench will star in All's Well That Ends Well at the Swan Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon, from 3 Dec 03 to 7 Feb 04. The production will then transfer to London.

The RSC also announced that Anthony Sher will play Iago in Othello also in the Swan Theatre 11 Feb 04 to 3 April 04.

Public booking for both plays open 20 Aug 03

Full press release below........

Judi Dench and Anthony Sher return to RSC in Stratford

RSC Associate director Gregory Doran will direct productions of Shakespeare's All's Well That Ends Well and Othello in the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon this winter.

Returning to the RSC to lead the cast of All's Well is RSC Honorary Associate Artist, Dame Judi Dench, who will play the Countess of Rossillion. This will be her debut performance on the Swan stage and the first role she has played for the RSC in Stratford since 1979 when she played Imogen in Cymbeline.

She said today "The Countess is one of the few Shakespearian women that I've never played and I'm thrilled to be working with Greg Doran and being part of a big company again."

Probably written within a year of Othello, All's Well That Ends Well is a bitter-sweet comedy contrasting deeply with Shakespeare's greatest tragic study of jealousy. The last RSC production of All's Well was over 10 years ago when it was directed by Peter Hall (Swan, 1992).

All's Well That Ends Well will perform in the Swan from 3 December 2003 - 7 February 2004 . It will then perform in London, presented by Bill Kenwright and Thelma Holt, at a venue to be announced.

The cast of Othello will be led by RSC Associate Artist, Sir Antony Sher playing Iago. Last season he played roles in the RSC's award-winning series of Jacobean plays which performed both in the Swan and the West End.

The leading South African actor Sello Maake ka Ncube will play the title role of Othello. He is currently appearing as Mufasa in the long running and highly successful musical The Lion King in the West End. This production of Othello celebrates the play's 400th anniversary by casting the first black African actor ever to play the title role in a major production in this country.

Othello will perform in the Swan from 11 February - 3 April 2004 and is presented in association with Thelma Holt and HoriPro Inc; continuing the relationship with the RSC that began in 1999 with Ninagawa's King Lear.

Thelma Holt says of the project; " I am very excited to once again collaborate with HoriPro and the RSC on what promises to be a unique and powerful production of one of Shakespeare's most complex plays."

These two Shakespeare productions will play opposite Beauty and the Beast in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Further casting details on all three plays to be announced.

Details of the entire RSC Season of productions for 2004 will be announced in early October.

End


Originally published on

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