The Almeida Theatre in London has announced two new productions for their 2023/24 season.
Carrie Cracknell (Oil; The Deep Blue Sea) will direct Alison Oliver (Women, Beware the Devil; Best Interests) in Marina Carr’s modern Irish classic Portia Coughlan. Running from 10 October – 18 November 2023, Carr’s heart-wrenching classic is about destructive families and obsession.
Alison Oliver returns to the Almeida having previously appeared in Women, Beware the Devil. Her other theatre credits include Dancing at Lughnasa (National Theatre); Summer and Smoke; The Merchant of Venice; Blood Wedding (The Lir Academy). Her television credits include Best Interests; Conversations with Friends. Her film work includes Saltburn.
Following his acclaimed performance in Hymn at the Almeida in 2021, Danny Sapani (Killing Eve; Les Blancs) takes the title role in King Lear, directed by Yaël Farber (The Tragedy of Macbeth; Blood Wedding). Shakespeare’s poignant, morally ambiguous, and subversive epic will run from 8 February – 30 March 2024.
Danny Sapani returns to the Almeida having previously appeared in Hymn and Big White Fog. His other theatre credits include Invisible Cities; Les Blancs; Home; Moon on a Rainbow Shawl (National Theatre); Medea (National Theatre/ NT Live). His work for television includes Killing Eve; Penny Dreadful; Doctor Who; Misfits; Halo; Harlots. His film work includes Black Panther; Black Panther: Wakanda Forever; Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Almeida Artistic Director Rupert Goold said, “I first saw Danny Sapani at the Almeida in the extraordinary Big White Fog in 2007 – for me, it remains one of the defining performances in our theatre. Then in 2021, at the peak of the third Covid lockdown, he moved and inspired us in Lolita Chakrabarti’s live streamed Hymn, alongside Adrian Lester. Next year, Danny returns to the Almeida as King Lear – one of our greatest stage actors in one of the greatest stage roles.
“Before then, we welcome back Alison Oliver to play the eponymous Portia Coughlan in Marina Carr’s breathtaking, haunting play. Alison is an incredible talent – this year alone she has received acclaim for Women, Beware the Devil here at the Almeida, Dancing at Lughnasa at the National Theatre and on TV in the BBC’s Best Interests.
“Helming these productions are two visionary directors – two years ago Yaël Farber gave us a spectacular Macbeth and Carrie Cracknell directs her first Almeida show since the epic Oil in 2016.”
Further casting and creatives for both productions to be announced.
More info on King Lear at the Almeida Theatre
More info on Portia Coughlan at the Almeida Theatre
