The Almeida Theatre in Islington has announced its new programme for Winter 2014/15 and Spring 2015.
Highlights of the new season include Almeida artistic director Rupert Goold reviving his acclaimed RSC production of The Merchant Of Venice, starring Ian Mcdiarmid as Shylock and Susannah Fielding as Portia.
Robert Icke (Mr Burns, 1984) is to direct Tobias Menzies in Wallace Shawn’s play The Fever, in a site-specific production that will be staged in an intimate setting at the May Fair Hotel in London.
The Almeida will stage the world premiere of Mike Bartlett’s new play Game, directed by Sacha Wares, following the Almeida’s acclaimed production of Bartlett’s King Charles III – which is now playing at the Wyndham’s Theatre. Award-winning designer Miriam Buether will radically reconfigure the auditorium of the Almeida for Bartlett’s play about the housing crisis and a young couple offered a home of their own – but at a dangerous price.
Also at the Almeida, a reimagining of Bizet’s Carmen will be staged in a new play by Simon Stephens (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Birdland, Three Kingdoms) called Carmen Disruption, directed by Michael Longhurst.
Currently playing at the Almeida is Little Revolution by Alecky Blythe and directed by Joe Hill-Gibbins (until 4 October 2014), a verbatim theatre piece about the London riots starring Ronni Ancona.
From 10 October (until 29 November), David Cromer directs a new production of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, featuring Michael Ajao, Paul Bigley, Arthur Byrne, Sidney Cole, Kate Dickie, Laura Elsworthy, Anna Francolini, Matthew Jacobs-Morgan, Daniel Kendrick, Simon Lennon, Jessica Lester, Richard Lumsden, Annette McLaughlin, Christopher Staines, Rhashan Stone and David Walmsley.
King Charles III by Mike Bartlett and directed by Rupert Goold is currently playing at the Wyndham’s Theatre until 29 November starring Katie Brayben, Oliver Chris, Richard Goulding, Nyasha Hatendi, Adam James, Margot Leicester, Tim Pigott-Smith, Miles Richardson, Tom Robertson, Nicholas Rowe, Tafline Steen and Lydia Wilson.
Tickets for the new season go on sale to Almeida Members on 16 September and the general public on 23 September.
LINKS
Book tickets to King Charles III at the Wyndham’s Theatre
Almeida Theatre on WestEndTheatre.com
Almeida Theatre website
LISTINGS
THE MERCHANT OF VENICE
by William Shakespeare
Directed by Rupert Goold
5 December 2014 – 14 February 2015
Press Night 15 December
Stars Ian McDiarmid as Shylock, plus Jamie Beamish, Rebecca Brewer, Susannah Fielding, Scott Handy, Caroline Martin and Emily Plumtree.
Designs by Tom Scutt, lighting by Rick Fisher, music by Adam Cork, sound by Gregory Clarke, choreography by Scott Ambler and orchestrations by Alex Baranowski.
THE FEVER
by Wallace Shawn
Directed by Robert Icke
at The May Fair Hotel
7 January – 7 February 2015
Stars Tobias Menzies (King Lear, The History Boys, The IT Crowd).
GAME
World Premiere by Mike Bartlett
Directed by Sacha Wares
23 February – 4 April
Press performances 3 March 7pm & 9.30pm
Designed by Miriam Buether.
CARMEN DISRUPTION
UK Premiere by Simon Stephens
Directed by Michael Longhurst
10 April – 23 May 2015
Press Performance 17 April
