Richard Briers withdraws from Endgame - replaced with Mark Rylance - opening at Duchess delayed!

Richard Briers withdraws from Endgame - replaced with Mark Rylance - opening at Duchess delayed!

Both Richard Briers & Adrian Scarborough have withdrawn from the production of Complicite's Endgame, by Samuel Beckett, which was to open at the Duchess Theatre in Sep 2009, but is delayed by a couple of weeks!

Mark Rylance will now play as Hamm , taking over the role from Richard Briers. Simon McBurney will now take over the role of Clov from Adrian Scarborough for the entire run. They are joined by Miriam Margolyes as previously announced, and Tom Hickey as Nagg.

To facilitate the cast changes, the production will now open on 15 Oct 2009, following previews from 2 Oct, booking to 5 Dec 2009.

A press statement says, "Adrian Scarborough, who was to play Clov until 23 October, felt it necessary to withdraw from the role due to over-committing himself for the forthcoming months. As it was a long held ambition of Richard Briers to play Hamm alongside Scarborough - they first talked about collaborating on the production when they worked together in The Wind in the Willows at the National - he has, after much consideration and with great regret, with the producer's full support and understanding, decided not to continue with the production."

Mark Rylance is currently performing in Jerusalem at the Royal Court theatre to 22 Aug 2009. His other London stage credits include "Boeing Boeing" at the Comedy in 2007; "Life x3" at the Old Vic in 2001; "True West" at the Donmar in 1994; and many productions for Shakespeare's Globe theatre, when he was Artistic Director (1995 - 2005).

Endgame is directed by Simon McBurney, designed by Tim Hatley, costumes by Christina Cunningham, sound by Christopher Shutt, and produced by Nica Burns & Max Weitzenhoffer.

The aged and blind Hamm and his servant Clov co-exist in a mutually dependent and fractious relationship, with only Hamm's parents, Nell and Nagg, legless from a biking accident, for company. They are condemned to a daily routine sealed off from the void outside.