The Almeida Theatre : Lorca's "Blood Wedding" with Gael Garcia Bernal from 5 May 2005; plus casting updates

The Almeida Theatre : Lorca's "Blood Wedding" with Gael Garcia Bernal from 5 May 2005; plus casting updates

The Almeida Theatre has annnounced that Rufus Norris will direct Gael Garcia Bernal as 'Leonardo' in Federico Garcia Lorca's Blood Wedding a new version by Tanya Ronder of Federico Garcia Lorca's play 'Bodas De Sangre', will open on 12 May 2005, following previews from 5 May, and booking to 18 June 2005.

Blood Wedding, written by Lorca in 1932 in response to a newspaper article concerning a local murder in rural Spain, is a story of love, lust and betrayal. A young Andalusian bride elopes with her childhood sweetheart Leonardo on her wedding day, abandoning her husband-to-be at the altar.

Casting Updates `for the following shows....

Earthly Paradise
by Peter Whelan, directed by Robert Delamere opens on 24 Nov 04, following previews from 18 Nov 04, and booking to 8 Jan 04.

Saffron Burrows will play Janey Morris, Alan Cox plays Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Sean Gilder plays John Hennie and Nigel Lindsay will play William Morris.

Set and costume designs are by Simon Higlett, lighting is by Chris Davey and sound is by Christopher Shutt.

When Topsy - poet and designer William Morris - takes a dreamy Oxfordshire manor house for the summer of 1871 the whisper goes round that it is to make the very public affair between his wife Janey and close friend Dante Gabriel Rossetti less conspicuous. The tensions between the three of them create an emotional undertow that keeps threatening to break surface. When Morris leaves them to their sanctuary and goes abroad as the alchemy of love works unexpected changes.

Macbeth
by William Shakespeare, directed by John Caird, starring Simon Russell Beale opens on 20 Jan 04, following previews from 13 Jan 04, and booking to 5 Mar 04.

The cast includes Simon Russell Beale (Macbeth), Emma Fielding (Lady Macbeth), Tom Burke (Malcolm), Paul Higgins (Macduff), Paul Ritter (Ross), John Rogan (Porter/Doctor), Hilary Sesta (Witch), Jane Thorne(Witch) and Janet Whiteside (Witch).

Set and costume designs are by Christopher Oram with lighting by Neil Austin and sound by John Leonard.

Story of ambition and cruelty begins with Macbeth and Banquo returning victorious from battle. When they are hailed by three plotting witches, the temptations of power and possession of the Scottish throne are proffered. What follows is a bloody battle between guilt and ambition, man and country, and husband and wife.