RSC announces work in London in 2007/08
27 June 2007
The Royal Shakespeare Company announced today that the eight plays in Shakespeare’s History Cycle, directed by RSC Artistic Director Michael Boyd, will transfer for an eight week season to London’s unique performance venue, the Roundhouse, in spring 2008.
In 2002 the Roundhouse staged the RSC’s productions of The Tempest, The Winter’s Tale and Pericles. Already well known for its ‘event’ theatre and now newly refurbished, it also recently presented Tim Supple’s Indian version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. With Michael Boyd’s Histories Cycle, the company will recreate the intimacy of The Courtyard Theatre to house the eclectic staging of the eight history plays, where actors use every corner of the stage and auditorium as they did in Stratford. The productions will play in repertoire with chances to see all eight performed in sequence (as they are scheduled to do in Stratford-upon-Avon from February 2008).
Three very different pieces of new work are also planned to play in two of London’s leading new writing venues, starting this autumn with a new play by Anthony Neilson created especially for the actors of the RSC ensemble, who have recently been performing Macbeth and Macbett in the Swan Theatre in Stratford. Fresh from his recent sell-out production of The Wonderful World of Dissocia at the Royal Court, Anthony Neilson will write and direct a new piece which is tailored to the skills and daring of eleven RSC actors further developing his themes of love, perversity and the wildness at the outer reaches of the imagination. They will work together to develop a new play in just six weeks, producing a bold new piece of theatre, as yet untitled, to run at the Soho Theatre from November this year until January 2008. This on-going association with the Soho Theatre builds on the success of the RSC New Work Festivals in 2005 and 2006 which contained such hit shows as The American Pilot by David Greig, Breakfast with Mugabe by Fraser Grace, and Trade by Debbie Tucker Green.
At the Tricycle, Leo Butler’s new play I’ll Be The Devil will debut in early spring 2008. This epic, brutal play set in occupied Ireland in 1775 is written in response to The Tempest. Given a work-in-progress public reading as part of the RSC’s Complete Works Festival under the title One of These Days, this new play gets its much deserved premiere production at the Tricycle.
Also at the Tricycle, there will be a chance to see the updated Days of Significance by Roy Williams. This specially commissioned response to Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing enjoyed critical acclaim in the Swan Theatre as part of the Festival. Set in market town England and the deserts of Iraq, Roy has updated the play to accommodate the rapidly changing situation in Basra and how it impacts on those at home. Both these productions will be performed by dedicated companies of actors and will form a six week season of new work from the RSC in early spring next year.
As previously announced, Trevor Nunn’s productions of King Lear and The Seagull will transfer to the New London theatre for a nine week run in November this year, following their international tour.
Michael Boyd, RSC Artistic Director, said:
“The Complete Works Festival has left the Company with a valuable legacy which continues with more Shakespeare and new work being transferred to a range of venues in the capital for London audiences to enjoy.
As well as the Company’s continued commitment to exploring and celebrating work with theatre practitioners from abroad such as Silviu Purcarete, and Canada’s National Arts Centre, we are also putting our energies behind making our new work widely presented. A new show by Anthony Neilson will be premiered in London, along with two plays at the Tricycle - a fully staged version of Leo Butler’s new play, and another chance to see the Roy Williams play - both these commissioned as part of the ‘Responses to Shakespeare’ thread of the Complete Works Festival.
As the Royal Shakespeare Theatre continues towards its transformation, The Courtyard Theatre is stepping up to the mark as a vibrant and popular temporary venue and continues to forge a new audience for us in our home town. We will be continuing the Festival’s cross venue flexibility by staging our Christmas shows at Stratford’s Civic Hall and reprising the open air theatre at the Dell, and the Film Festival this summer.“
Summary
November 2007 – January 2008
King Lear and The Seagull
The New London Theatre
Press Night - The Seagull - 27 November, 7pm
Press Night - King Lear – 28 November, 7pm
November 2007 – January 2008
God in Ruins
Written and directed by Anthony Neilson
Soho Theatre
Press Night: 5 December, 7pm
February – April 2008
Days of Significance
By Roy Williams
Directed by Maria Aberg
Tricycle Theatre
I’ll Be The Devil
By Leo Butler
Tricycle Theatre
March – May 2008
The Histories
(Richard II, Henry IV, parts I and II, Henry V, Henry VI, parts I,II, and III and Richard III)
Directed by Michael Boyd
Associate Director and director of Henry IV Part II Richard Twyman
The Roundhouse
Further repertoire details of the London season and the 2008 Stratford season to be announced.
Booking
King Lear and The Seagull
RSC Members' priority booking opens 2 July. To join call 01789 403440 or visit www.rsc.org.uk/membership
Public booking opens 7 September. For further information call the RSC Information Hotline 0844 800 1117
God in Ruins
Soho Theatre
RSC Members' priority booking opens 2 July. Booking for Friends of Soho Theatre opens on 16 July. To book call 0870 429 6883.
The Histories
RSC Members' booking opens October 2007. To join call 01789 403440 or visit www.rsc.org.uk/membership. Public booking opens November 2007. For further information call the RSC Information Hotline 0844 800 1117.
Booking details for the productions at the Tricycle to be announced.
Notes to Editors
Production images from the first four history plays are available to download free of charge by registering on the EPO (Electronic Press Office) www.epo-online.com
The first four productions of the Histories – all three parts of Henry VI opened at The Courtyard Theatre, Stratford on 9 August 2006. Richard III opened on 23 January 2007.
The press day for Henry IV, parts I and II and Richard II at The Courtyard Theatre on Thursday is 16 August 2007. Press Night for Henry V is Tuesday 6 November 2007.
Further information
For more information, please contact Philippa Harland on 020 7845 0512 or philippa.harland@rsc.org.uk
