Open Air Theatre - casting announced for 2012
Preview by Lizzie Guilfoyle
REGENT’S Park Open Air Theatre has announced casting for A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Ragtime.
Leading the casts – there will be 26 actors in each production, 20 of whom will appear in both – will be Tamsin Carroll, Harry Hepple, George Bukhari, David Birrell and Christopher Colquhoun.
Tamsin Carroll, who was seen most recently as Nancy in Oliver! (Theatre Royal Drury Lane), will play Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Emma Goldman in Ragtime.
Harry Hepple, who recently played the title role in Pippin (Menier Chocolate Factory), will play Qunice (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) and Younger Brother (Ragtime).
George Bukhari returns to the Open Air Theatre where he previously appeared as Piggy in Lord of the Flies, to play Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
David Birrell, whose recent credits include Company (Sheffield Theatre) and Passion (Donmar Warehouse), will play Theseus (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) and Father (Ragtime).
Christopher Colquhoun, who is best known as Casualty and Holby City‘s Simon Kaminski, will play Oberon A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Previously Posted: Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre has announced its programme for 2012 and, in a change from recent years, is presenting just two productions – A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Ragtime.
The two productions will share the same company and creative team and run in rep, Ragtime opening on May 28 (previews from May 18) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream following suit on June 11 (previews from June 2).
Helming both shows will be the Open Air Theatre’s Artistic director Timothy Sheader and Liam Steel, who have previously collaborated on Lord of the Flies, The Crucible and Into the Woods.
Based on the novel by E L Doctorow and with a script by Terrence McNally, Ragtime weaves together the story of three groups in America, represented by Coalhouse Walker Jr, a Harlem musician; Mother and her family in New Rochelle; and Tateh, a Jewish immigrant who has come to America with his daughter seeking a new life.
Lyrics are by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty.
Ragtime follows the success of the multi Olivier Award-winning productions of Hello, Dolly! and Into The Woods, as well as this year’s production of Crazy for You which transfers to the West End’s Novello Theatre in October 2011.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, one of Shakespeare’s most popular works, portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta.
Launching the 2012 season, Timothy Sheader said: “What has proved exciting at Regent’s Park over the past few years are productions that embrace scale, both physically and in their narrative. The titles for 2012, each with their own particular ambition, are united in their exploration of space, light and the changing atmosphere of theatre in the open air.”