Spacey Richard III directed by Mendes at Old Vic 2012

Kevin Spacey stars as William Shakespeare's Richard III, directed by Sam Mendes, at the Old Vic Theatre in May 2012.

It will be the final production for the Bridge Project, a three-year transatlantic collaboration produced by The Old Vic, Brooklyn Academy of Music & Neal Street Productions, that has seen US and British actors tour the world in productions including The Tempest and As You Like It in 2010, and The Cherry Orchard & The Winter's Tale in 2009.

Richard III will be at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) Harvey theatre in New York in February 2012, followed by a brief international tour until its London opening at The Old Vic in May to August 2012. (tickets on sale Summer 2011). The company then embarks on a more extensive world tour from the end of August through October 2012.

While The Bridge Project remains a three-year endeavour, adjusting the calendar to 2012 (there are no shows in 2011) allows time to implement a more ambitious international tour with a larger company. The full company will again be drawn from leading American and British actors, with complete casting to be announced closer to the date.