As rehearsals begin for the Royal Shakespeare Company’s (RSC) upcoming production of The Tempest, the company announces full casting for the show which will run in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from Thursday 26 January to Saturday 4 March 2023, with press night on Thursday 2 February.
As previously announced, Alex Kingston (Doctor Who, A Discovery of Witches, ER) will return to the RSC to play Prospero alongside Jessica Rhodes, who makes her debut with the Royal Shakespeare Company playing Miranda.
They are joined by Jamie Ballard as Antonio, whose recent theatre credits include Harry Potter in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Palace Theatre.
The full company comprises Jamie Ballard (Antonio), Ishia Bennison (Gonzalo), Natalia Campbell (Goddess), Tina Chiang (Master), Grace Cookey-Gam (Sebastian), Peter De Jersey (Alonso), Heledd Gwynn (Ariel), Liz Jadav (Goddess), Jonny Khan (Francisco), Natalie Kimmerling (Sailor), Alex Kingston (Prospero), David Lee-Jones (Adrian), David Osmond (Sailor), Joseph Payne (Ferdinand), Rodrigo Peñalosa Pita (Boatswain), Jessica Rhodes (Miranda), Tommy Sim’aan (Caliban), Imogen Slaughter (Goddess), Simon Startin (Stephano) and Cath Whitefield (Trinculo).
Directed by Elizabeth Freestone, The Tempest has Set Design by Tom Piper, Costume Design by Tom Piper and Natasha Ward, Lighting by Johanna Town, Music and Sound by Adrienne Quartly, Movement by Sarita Piotrowski, Fights by Kev McCurdy, Puppetry Direction and Design by Rachael Canning. Casting is by Helena Palmer CDG.
The world is out of kilter. Political unrest and an unsettled climate make for stormy times.
People are out of kilter, too. Sibling rivalry and family ruptures cause heartache and uneasy souls.
On an island full of noises, a mother and daughter strike a truce with nature to survive. Then one day, their long-lost enemies sail into view on the horizon. Against the power of a furious sea, the reunited foes are forced to confront their pasts and themselves.
The Tempest asks us to examine the delicate balance in our personal relationships as well as with the fragile ecosystems around us. What damage do we do to each other – and to the natural world? In the end, young love brings hope for a better life: perhaps healing ourselves and mending the planet are one and the same thing.
