RSC announces winter season at the Barbican, including Christopher Eccleston's Macbeth
The Royal Shakespeare Company has announced a number of productions set to transfer to London from Straford-upon-Avon later this year, including Macbeth starring Christopher Eccleston.
Set to open at the RSC next week, Polly Findlay's production of Macbeth stars Eccleston, Nimah Cusack as Lady Macbeth and Edward Bennett as Macduff, with all three returning to the contemporary production when it runs at the Barbican Theatre in October.
Also part of the RSC's latest season at the Barbican is Romeo and Juliet, directed by Erica Whyman, with Bally Gill and Karen Fishwick taking on the lead roles. The production sees young people from the RSC associate schools play the chorus alongside the professional cast.
The season concludes with The Merry Wives of Windsor directed by Fiona Laird. The production is set in a contemporary setting - with a hint of reality television - and stars David Troughton, an RSC associate artist.
The RSC season at the Barbican runs from 15th October 2018 to 19th January 2019.
A transfer has also been announced of Mike Poulton's stage adaptation of the Robert Harris' Cicero book trilogy. Imperium tells the story of Cicero through the eyes of his secretary Tiro, and will be told in six plays across two performances (each with two intervals). It will run at the Gielgud Theatre from 14th June to 8th September.
The cast includes Olivier and Tony Award-winning actor Richard McCabe as Marcus Tullius Cicero, with Tiro played by Joseph Kloska, who also narrates the adventures. Many of the original company from Stratford-upon-Avon are set to return for the London run.
It will have designs by Anthony Ward, lighting by Mark Henderson, music by Paul Englishby, sound by Claire Windsor and movement by Anna Morrissey.
Imperium is at the Gielgud Theatre from 14th June to 8th September. RSC season at the Barbican runs from 15th October to 19th January.
photo by Richard Davenport (c) RSC
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