Photo Flash: Jonathan Pryce and More Rehearse for Michael Attenborough's KING LEAR at the Almeida!

Michael Attenborough will direct Jonathan Pryce as William Shakespeare's King Lear running at The Almeida Theatre from the 31 August – 3 November 2012, with press night 11 September. Designs are by Tom Scutt with lighting by Jon Clark and sound and music by Dan Jones. The Almeida's production of King Lear is part of the World Shakespeare Festival. The festival, produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company for London 2012, will showcase the best of the UK and international creative talents, exploring the contemporary relevance of Shakespeare. Check out photos of Pryce and the rest of the cast in rehearsal below!

Jonathan Pryce is joined by Kieran Bew (Edmund), Trevor Fox (Fool), Steven Elliott (Oswald), Phoebe Fox (Cordelia), Ian Gelder (Kent), Richard Goulding (Edgar), Richard Hope (Albany), Jenny Jules (Regan), Barry McCarthy (Lear's Loyal Servant), Chook Sibtain (Cornwall), Zoe Waites (Goneril), Clive Wood (Gloucester) and Alix Wilton Regan (Gloucester's Loyal Servant).

When Lear asks each of his daughters to profess their love for him, he is flattered by the false hyperbole of Regan and Goneril. When his youngest daughter Cordelia confesses to love him simply as a daughter should, his pride is dented and he casts her out of his kingdom. Too late to realise his mistake, and forced from power by his offspring, an increasingly impotent and frail Lear descends into madness.

Tony and Olivier award-winning actor Jonathan Pryce made his Almeida debut playing Martin in Edward Albee's The Goat or, Who is Sylvia? His extensive theatre credits includes The Caretaker for Liverpool Everyman and Bath Theatre Royal, which he has also performed at the Trafalgar Studios, and on a world tour culminating at the Brooklyn Academy Of Music in New York, Dimetos at the Donmar Warehouse, Glengarry Glen Ross at the Apollo Theatre, A Reckoning for Soho Theatreand My Fair Lady at The National Theatre and the Theatre Royal Drury Lane as well as Oliver at the London Palladium, Miss Saigon at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Hamlet for the Royal Court, Measure for Measure at the Royal Shakespeare Company and Comedians at the Old Vic. His film and television work includes Cranford, Hysteria, Pirates of the Caribbean, Tomorrow Never Dies, What a Girl Wants, Victoria and Albert, Evita, Unconditional Love, Brazil and Carrington.

This year, Michael Attenborough celebrates ten years as Artistic Director of The Almeida Theatre. Attenborough, who succeeded Jonathan Kent and Ian McDiarmid, began his Artistic Directorship with the opening of the refurbished Islington based theatre.

Michael Attenborough's productions over the last ten years as Artistic Director have been The Mercy Seat, Five Gold Rings, Brighton Rock, The Late Henry Moss, Enemies, There Came A Gypsy Riding, Big White Fog, Awake and Sing!, The Homecoming, In a Dark Dark House, When the Rain Stops Falling, Measure for Measure, Through A Glass Darkly, The Knot of the Heart, Reasons To Be Pretty and, most recently, Filumena. Previously, Attenborough was Associate Director at Mercury Theatre, Colchester (1972-74), Leeds Playhouse (1974-79), Young Vic (1979-80); and Artistic Director at Palace Theatre, Watford (1980-84) and Hampstead Theatre (1984-89); and was Principal Associate Director for the Royal Shakespeare Company (1990-2002). On leaving the Royal Shakespeare Company he became an Honorary Associate Artist. Attenborough's freelance work includes productions at The National Theatre , the Royal Court, in the West End and on Broadway. He is the recipient of two Honorary Doctorates and is Honorary Professor of English at the University of Sussex.

There will be a talkback post-show discussion on 8 October. For tickets and more about the production, visit www.almeida.co.uk.

Photo credit: Keith Pattison