Full casting is announced for the RSC’s upcoming production of Twelfth Night, which runs at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon between Thursday 5 December 2024 and Saturday 18 January 2025, with a press performance on Thursday 12 December, 7pm.
Joining the previously announced Samuel West (Malvolio) and Gwyneth Keyworth (Viola) are Freema Agyeman (Olivia) and Bally Gill (Orsino).
Freema Agyeman will make her RSC debut as Olivia. Her most recent theatre credits include Jamie Lloyd’s Romeo and Juliet (2024) and the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre’s God of Carnage (2023). She is perhaps best known for her roles as Martha Jones in Doctor Who and, more recently, as Dr. Helen Sharpe in New Amsterdam.
Bally Gill, who played Oberon/Theseus in Eleanor Rhode’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream earlier this year, returns to the RSC as Orsino. This will be his fifth time performing in a Shakespeare play at the RSC, having also appeared in Coriolanus, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet. He was awarded the Ian Charleson Award in 2018 for his performance as Romeo. Bally’s TV credits include Agent Singh in Slow Horses and Rashid in Interview with the Vampire.
Amongst Samuel West’s well-known recent credits are All Creatures Great and Small, Apple TV’s Slow Horses and Darkest Hour. Gwyneth Keyworth is best known for playing Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird at the Gielgud Theatre, for which she won the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Supporting Performer in 2023.
The full cast comprises: Freema Agyeman (Olivia), Emily Benjamin (Priest), Norman Bowman (Antonio), George Fletcher (Second Officer/Orsino’s Attendant), Bally Gill (Orsino), Demetri Goritsas (Sir Andrew Aguecheek), Michael Grady-Hall (Feste), Danielle Henry (Maria), Gwyneth Keyworth (Viola), Michael Lyle (First Officer/Orsino’s Attendant), Cat McKeever (Sea Captain), Daniel Millar (Fabian), Reece Miller (Orsino’s Attendant), Charlotte O’Leary (Olivia’s Woman), Thom Petty (Curio), Rhys Rusbatch (Sebastian), Joplin Sibtain (Sir Toby Belch), Tom Sowinski (Orsino’s Attendant), Samuel West (Malvolio) and David Whitworth (Valentine).
Director, Prasanna Puwanarajah, who returns to the RSC having last directed Venice Preserved here in 2019, said:
“I’m delighted and honoured to be back in the RSC rehearsal rooms working on this beautiful play with such a terrific company of performers and creative collaborators; some are new to the RSC and some are veterans of the company, some are long-term collaborators of mine and some are exciting and wonderful new creative partnerships. They are a kind, creative, bold and soulful group of artists, and I’m so grateful to Casting Director Matthew Dewsbury, the whole of the RSC Casting Department and to Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey for their work in putting together this stunning ensemble.”
Joining director, Prasanna Puwanarajah in the creative team are: James Cotterill as Set & Costume Designer, Zoe Spurr as Lighting Designer, Matt Maltese as Composer, George Dennis as Sound Designer, Polly Bennett as Movement Director and Matthew Dewsbury CDG as Casting Director.
