The creative teams have been announced for Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre Europe’s first ever pop-up Shakespearean Theatre, both for the return to its original site in York and at the new site at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire.
Both theatres will run simultaneously this summer, performing a total of eight Shakespeare plays. The plays have been selected from across the genres, offering something for everyone, and will be performed in repertory by two companies of actors based at each location, with casting to be announced.
In York, the new repertoire of plays for 2019 will be Hamlet, Henry V, The Tempest and Twelfth Night.
Damian Cruden returns to Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre, having directed Macbeth last year in York. This year he will direct Hamlet and will serve as overall artistic director for both companies. Joyce Branagh will join the company to direct Twelfth Night, Philip Franks will direct The Tempest, and Gemma Fairlie will direct Henry V. Sara Perks will be overall season designer and will act as set and costume designer for Hamlet and costume designer for Twelfth Night. Adrian Linford will be set and costume designer for The Tempest and costume designer for Henry V. Max Dorey will be set designer for Twelfth Night and Henry V.
The Blenheim Palace companies will be reviving the productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Macbeth as experienced in York last year as well as creating exciting new productions of Romeo & Juliet and Richard III.
Tom Wright will be Associate Director for Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Juliet Forster, who was the original director of A Midsummer Night’s Dream last year, will turn her skills to directing Romeo & Juliet this year. Amy Yardley will be associate scenic designer for both Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and scenic designer for Romeo & Juliet. Sarah Mercade will be costume designer for Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Romeo & Juliet. Lucy Pitman-Wallace will direct Richard III, which will have scenic and costume design by Adam Nee.
Originator of the project and CEO of international theatre company, Lunchbox Theatrical Productions, James Cundall MBE, said “We are thrilled that Damian Cruden is once again joining us at SHAKESPEARE’S ROSE THEATRE, this time as overall artistic director. With him we are delighted to have found a first- class team of directors and designers for our eight productions. We are looking forward to seeing their interpretations of these great plays.”
