RSC double bill of new work at Wilton's Music Hall in London
15 September 2008
Wilton's Music Hall in East London – the oldest surviving music hall in the world - will be the atmospheric new venue for the Royal Shakespeare Company's two new plays, The Cordelia Dream and The Tragedy of Thomas Hobbes.
The plays will have consecutive runs of approximately four weeks each at the hauntingly beautiful Wilton's Music Hall on the outskirts of the City. The fabric of this 19th Century building is in a state of glorious dilapidation but preserves its true acoustic.
12 November 2008 - 10 January 2009
Box Office 0844 800 1118 www.rsc.org.uk
The Tragedy of Thomas Hobbes
The Tragedy of Thomas Hobbes
By Adriano Shaplin
A new MIT/RSC Commission
Directed by Elizabeth Freestone
From 12 November – 6 December 2008
Press Night: Tuesday 18 November 2008, 7pm
This world premiere of award-winning playwright Adriano Shaplin's new history play is set in London 1658. The Civil War is over, the King has been executed, Oliver Cromwell has closed the theatres and the talk in the coffee houses is of revolution. Meanwhile England's most famous philosopher is poised to do battle with a faction of young scientists. The Tragedy of Thomas Hobbes brings vividly to life a period of history when science was the new theatre and philosophy became a new faith. It is a provocative and experimental journey back to a time of dead dogs, new gods and apparent miracles.
The magnificent Wilton's Music Hall will provide a stunning backdrop for this dark enlightenment comedy.
The Tragedy of Thomas Hobbes is cast from the ensemble of actors performing The Taming of the Shrew and The Merchant of Venice and includes Stephen Boxer as Thomas Hobbes, Amanda Hadingue as Robert Boyle and Jack Laskey as Robert Hooke. Cast also includes Arsher Ali (Charles II), William Beck (Broghill), Keir Charles (John Wilkins), John Paul Connolly (Willis), Simon Darwen (Wallis), Adrian De Costa (Christopher Cox), Leonard Fenton (Waldorf), James Garnon (Black), Will Sharpe (Isaac Newton), Peter Shorey (Oliver Cromwell), Larrington Walker (Statler) and Angus Wright (Rotten).
The production is designed by Soutra Gilmour with lighting by Johanna Town, music/sound by Adrienne Quartly and movement by Anna Morrissey.
Adriano Shaplin is the RSC/CAPITAL International Playwright in Residence.
The Cordelia Dream
The Cordelia Dream
By Marina Carr
A new RSC commission
Directed by Selina Cartmell
11 December 2008 – 10 January 2009
Press Night: Tuesday 16 December 2008, 7pm
Award-winning Irish playwright Marina Carr returns to London with a ferocious two-hander.
A musician and his rival, a younger woman, are having a long-awaited conversation. As they spit their mutual malice with precision, they question the hatred that has fuelled their desire to outdo each other in pursuit of art. With echoes of King Lear, the play promises to unpick the belief that a muse must be made of love.
This gripping new play is a razor-sharp dissection of a loving but shattering relationship.
The Cordelia Dream is cast from the ensemble of actors performing The Merchant of Venice and The Taming of the Shrew. The cast is Michelle Gomez and David Hargreaves.
The production is designed by Giles Cadle with lighting by Matthew Richardson, music by Conor Linehan, movement by Anna Morrissey and sound by Fergus O'Hare.
Further information
RSC Ticket Hotline: 0844 800 1118
For further information, please contact Philippa Harland, RSC Head of Press on philippa.harland@rsc.org.uk or 020 7845 0512
For press tickets, please contact Dean Asker in the Stratford Press Office on 01789 412660 or dean.asker@rsc.org.uk
Notes to Editors
The work of the RSC Literary Department is generously supported by The Drue Heinz Trust The RSC's New Work is generously supported by Christopher Seton Abele on behalf of the Argosy Foundation.
Production images for these productions will be available from www.epo-online.com from mid November onwards.
Q and As with Adriano Shaplin and Marina Carr available on www.rsc.org.uk/press or on request.
For further information on Wilton's Music Hall – www.wiltons.org.uk
The RSC season at Wilton's Music Hall runs alongside the RSC Winter Season at the Novello Theatre, with productions of Hamlet, A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Taming of the Shrew from 3 December 2008 – 7 March 2009.
