The Royal Shakespeare Firm and Neal Road Productions have revealed the whole ensemble forged for the American debut of the “Hamnet” stage play with Kemi-Bo Jacobs taking over the function of Agnes and Rory Alexander portraying William Shakespeare.
The critically lauded stage adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s bestselling novel will launch its U.S. tour at Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s The Yard on Feb. 10, operating by means of March 8. The manufacturing subsequently strikes to Shakespeare Theatre Firm in Washington, D.C. (March 17-April 12) and concludes at American Conservatory Theater’s Toni Rembe Theatre in San Francisco (April 22-Could 24).
Award-winning playwright Lolita Chakrabarti tailored O’Farrell’s Ladies’s Prize for Fiction winner for the stage, with path by Erica Whyman, former appearing inventive director of the RSC. The narrative facilities on Agnes Hathaway, a healer who marries Latin tutor William Shakespeare in 1582 Warwickshire, and explores how the couple navigates the devastating lack of their 11-year-old son Hamnet to the plague.
“I’m delighted to be revisiting this extraordinary story for U.S. audiences, and to be making this manufacturing with a stellar line-up of performers,” mentioned Whyman. “Kemi-Bo Jacobs and Rory Alexander are bringing Agnes and William alive on the stage with a luminous intelligence and a profound and surprising understanding of the love and loss that formed their lives.”
Jacobs’ current stage work consists of the Nationwide Theatre’s “Coriolanus,” Chichester’s “The Different Boleyn Lady” and the RSC’s “The Winter’s Story.” Her display credit span Netflix’s “The Letter for The King,” Hulu’s “The Nice” and “Physician Who.”
Alexander at present seems within the Starz sequence “Outlander: Blood of My Blood” and earned a BIFA longlist nomination for finest breakthrough efficiency in “Inland” reverse Mark Rylance. He portrayed Boogie in Danny Boyle’s “Pistol” for FX/Hulu.
The ensemble additionally options Troy Alexander as Bartholomew, Nigel Barrett as John/Will Kempe, Ajani Cabey as Hamnet/Thomas Day, Saffron Dey as Judith, Victoria Elliott as Joan and Elizabeth Condell, Heather Forster as Eliza, Karl Haynes as Ned/Henry Condell and Doctor, Ava Hinds Jones as Susanna, Nicki Hobday as Jude and Doctor’s Spouse, Penny Layden as Mary, Matilda McCarthy as Tilly/Caterina and Will’s Landlady, and Bert Seymour as Burbage/Father John.
The unique RSC/Neal Road manufacturing premiered at Stratford-upon-Avon’s Swan Theatre in 2023, breaking field workplace information earlier than transferring to London’s Garrick Theatre with the biggest advance within the venue’s historical past.
O’Farrell’s novel has bought over 1.5 million copies worldwide and claimed the Nationwide E book Critics Circle Award and Waterstones E book of the Yr in 2020. The work additionally garnered shortlists for the Walter Scott Prize for Historic Fiction and British E book Awards’ Fiction E book of the Yr.
Tom Piper designed units and costumes, with lighting by Prema Mehta, sound by Simon Baker, music by Oğuz Kaplangi, casting by Amy Ball and motion by Ayşe Tashkiran.
The stage manufacturing’s U.S. tour arrives because the property features contemporary momentum following the movie adaptation’s efficiency on the Golden Globes, the place Chloé Zhao’s “Hamnet” claimed finest movement image drama and Jessie Buckley received finest actress in a movement image drama for her portrayal of Agnes. The Focus Options movie, produced by Steven Spielberg and Sam Mendes, additionally earned nominations for finest director, finest supporting actor (Paul Mescal), finest screenplay and finest unique rating.
