It has been announced that Kenneth Branagh will helm a year-long season of plays in the West End. The star of stage and screen will direct and act in the season due to open at the Garrick Theatre in October 2016.
The plays include The Winter’s Tale and Romeo and Juliet, both by William Shakespeare, Harlequinade by Terence Rattigan, an adaptation of The Painkiller by Francis Veber, and The Entertainer by John Osborne.
Kicking off the season will be The Winter’s Tale, staring Dame Judi Dench as Paulina and Kenneth Branagh as Leontes. The production will be directed by Branagh and Rob Ashford. The pair previously worked together to great acclaim on Macbeth for the Manchester International Festival. The Winter’s Tale begins previews from 17 October 2015 and ends 16 January 2016. Interestingly, Branagh has chosen to run another play in rep with The Winter’s Tale, a revival of Terrence Rattigan’s one-act play Harlequinade, opening 24 October 2015 and running to 13 January 2016.
Painkiller, the third play in the season begins its run from 5 March 2016 and plays through to 30 April 2015. Rob Brydon and Kenneth Branagh star in this revival of Francis Veber’s farce adapted and directed by Sean Foley.
The next play is Romeo and Juliet, with rising-stars Lilly James and Richard Madden taking on the roles of the tragic young lovers. This production plays from 12 May 2016 and ends 13 August 2016.
The final play in the season will be a revival of John Osborne’s groundbreaking 1957 play The Entertainer, running from 20 August 2016 through to 12 November 2016. Directed by Rob Ashford, the production will star Branagh as the infamous music hall performer Archie Rice.
Collaborating with Branagh throughout the season is a stellar creative team including, lighting designer Neil Austin, composer Patrick Doyle, sound designer Christopher Shutt and set designer Christopher Oram.
Look out for more casting announcements soon…
A new musical adaptation of the hit 1993 film Groundhog Day has been given the green light for a production at The Old Vic Theatre next year, following a second workshop in London last month.