Joely Richardson to Lead Trevor Nunn's THE WARS OF THE ROSES at Kingston This Autumn

According to the Daily Mail, Joely Richardson will portray Shakespeare's heroine 'Margaret of Anjou' in THE WARS OF THE ROSES, helmed by Trevor Nunn at the Rose Theatre, Kingston, beginning in September.

Also in the cast are Kare Conradi and Robert Sheehan.

Peggy Ashcroft originally played the role of 'Margaret' in 1963 with the RSC. After coming across photographs of Ashcroft portraying Henry VI's queen, Richardson said, "Let's be honest: Peggy Ashcroft is on her own plinth and is untouchable."

Richardson is currently in the thick of rehearsals. "There's a hell of a lot more training to do," she said. "I turned 50 this year and can't imagine doing anything cooler in my 50th year than Shakespeare."

The actress is no stranger to the Bard; she appeared in several Shakespeare productions with the RSC in the '80s.

Richardson recently appeared off-Broadway in THE BELLE OF AMHERST. Her other New York credits include IVANOV and MADAME MELVILLE. She will soon be seen in the film SNOWDEN.

THE WARS OF THE ROSES is a gripping adaptation of four of Shakespeare's history plays -- HENRY VI, EDWARD IV and RICHARD III -- which will run in rep from September 16 through October 31, 2015.

A spectacular theatrical event not seen since it was first produced at the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1963 by the founders of the company John Barton and Peter Hall - THE WARS OF THE ROSES is a trilogy of plays about one of the most tumultuous and intriguing periods of British history -- the 15th Century conflict between the House of York and the House of Lancaster for the throne of England.

Through these plays Shakespeare examines the very essence of human conflict. A tale of feuding families, murderous kings and adulterous queens, of scheming and betrayal, revolts and battles, The Wars of the Roses chronicles the final struggle for power in medieval England.

With an acting company of over 20 professional actors, combined with a local community chorus to complete the ensemble, it will be the largest company to play the Rose's stage since the theatre opened. The production also reunites Nunn with his long term collaborator designer John Napierwho, with Mark Friend, will transform the Rose's auditorium.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride