Anderman, Jones et al. Join Spacey in Bridge Project's RICHARD III; Plays NY Jan. 2012

The full company is announced for the final season of The Bridge Project featuring Kevin Spacey, artistic director of The Old Vic, in the title role of Richard III. The Bridge Project will open at The Old Vic in London on June 29, 2011 and then embark on an international tour including the Athens & Epidaurus Festival, Spain's Centro Niemeyer, Hong Kong Arts Festival, and Singapore Repertory Theatre, arriving at BAM's Harvey Theater in New York in January 2012. Further international tour dates to be announced shortly.

Tickets are currently on sale at The Old Vic and will be available through the BAM box office this fall. The Bridge Project will again be directed by Academy Award winner Sam Mendes, with whom Kevin Spacey worked on the film American Beauty, for which they both won BAFTA and Academy Awards.

The Bridge Project is a unique three-year series of co-productions by BAM, The Old Vic, and Neal Street, devoted to producing large-scale, classical theater for international audiences.

Led by Kevin Spacey in the role of Richard III, the company features another formidable British/American cast that includes Maureen Anderman as the Duchess of York; Haydn Gwynne as Queen Elizabeth; Chuk Iwuji as Buckingham; Gemma Jones as Queen Margaret; and Chandler Williams as George, Duke of Clarence.

The American cast members are appearing with the permission of UK Equity and the British cast members are appearing with the permission of Actors' Equity Association, incorporating Variety Artists' Federation, pursuant to an exchange program between UK Equity and American Equity. The producers gratefully acknowledge UK Equity and Actors' Equity Association for their assistance of this production.

Kevin Spacey has previously appeared in The Old Vic Productions Speed-the-Plow with Jeff Goldblum, National Anthems, The Philadelphia Story, A Moon for the Misbegotten ( which subsequently transferred to Broadway), and in Trevor Nunn's productions of Inherit the Wind and Richard II. Previous theater includes The Iceman Cometh (Evening Standard and Olivier Awards for Best Actor, and Tony Award nomination) directed by Howard Davies (Almeida, The Old Vic, and Broadway), Lost in Yonkers (Tony Award, Best Supporting Actor), Long Day's Journey into Night, with Jack Lemmon, directed by Jonathan Miller (Broadway and West End). He directed The Old Vic's inaugural production Cloaca and directed Complicit starring Richard Dreyfuss.

Award-winning actress Maureen Anderman has worked extensively on Broadway in productions of Othello, Moonchildren (for which she won the Theater World Award), The Lady from Dubuque (Tony Award nomination), Social Security, and Driving Miss Daisy. Haydn Gwynne was last on stage in the West End as Mrs. Wilkinson in Billy Elliot The Musical, a role she recreated on Broadway, winning the Drama Desk, Outer Critics' Circle, and Theater World Awards, and garnering a Tony Award nomination. Her other theater credits include Merry Wives of Windsor, Peer Gynt, Twelfth Night, and A Midsummer Night's Dream (all RSC); The Memory of Water (Hampstead); and most recently Becky Shaw (Almeida). Her television work includes Drop the Dead Donkey, Sherlock, and Rome. Chuk Iwuji won an Olivier Award in 2009 for his performance in The Histories (RSC) and recently appeared in The Misanthrope (West End) and Welcome to Thebes (National Theatre). Gemma Jones' stage credits include Peter Brook's celebrated production A Midsummer Night's Dream for the RSC, Anthony Page's production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Lyric Theatre), The Masterbuilder and Ride Down Mount Morgan, both in the West End and most recently Family Reunion (Donmar).Television includes Whistle and I'll Come to You with John Hurt, Spooks, Trial and Retribution, Longitude and Duchess of Duke Street. Film includes Sense and Sensibility, Bridget Jones' Diary, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason and the Harry Potter films. Her most recent films are the Woody Allen movie You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger starring opposite Anthony Hopkins, and the forthcoming film Hysteria, alongside Maggie Gyllenhaal and Hugh Dancy. Chandler Williams' work on Broadway includes In The Next Room, Mary Stuart, and Translations. He has appeared in the popular CBS television series The Good Wife and his film credits include Kinsey and Public Enemies.

The complete Acting Company is as follows: Maureen Anderman* (Duchess of York), Stephen Lee Anderson* (Sir Richard Ratcliffe), Jeremy Bobb* (Catesby & 2nd Murderer & 2nd Citizen ), Nathan Darrow* (Lord Grey & Richmond), Jack Ellis (Lord Hastings), Haydn Gwynne (Queen Elizabeth), Chuk Iwuji (Buckingham), Isaiah Johnson* (Rivers & Lord Mayor), Gemma Jones (Queen Margaret), Andrew Long* (King Edward IV & Bishop of Ely), Katherine Manners (Young Prince Richard), Howard Overshown* (Brackenbury & Keeper & Sir Thomas Vaughan ), Simon Lee Phillips (Tyrell & 3rd Citizen & Norfolk), Gary Powell (Lord Lovel & 1st Murderer & 1st Citizen), Michael Rudko* (Lord Stanley), Annabel Scholey (Lady Anne), Kevin Spacey* (Richard, Duke of Gloucester), Gavin Stenhouse (Dorset & Urswick), Hannah Stokely (Edward), and Chandler Williams* (George, Duke of Clarence).
*indicates American member of company

Commenting on the final season, Sam Mendes says: "I am absolutely delighted to be working with Kevin again for the first time since American Beauty, and I am doubly thrilled that he will be leading year three of The Bridge Project. Richard III is a play I love, and a role I think Kevin is born to play. I'm also thrilled that the partnership between our three entities has strengthened and blossomed over the course of this venture, along with a host of invaluable international partnerships that have enabled us to extend the reach of global touring year after year."

The Old Vic Artistic Director Kevin Spacey, who plays Richard III, says: "Sam is one of the finest directors I have had the pleasure to work with and to gain this opportunity is beyond my wildest hopes. I love Sam's perspective on a role, carving and shaping the actor. With such a remarkable character before me I have a feeling this one is going to be a memorable experience. It is also my hope to bring a comprehensive educational programme and opportunities for emerging artists along with our travels, making an argument for the Living Theatre in all the major cities we will visit throughout 2011. We're delighted that Bank of America Merrill Lynch has come on board for another season as our sponsor and I applaud their continued support for our work."

BAM Executive Producer Joseph V. Melillo says: "The Bridge Project has been a wonderful creative adventure and an unparalleled success; its final instalment is a programmatic highlight of BAM's upcoming 150th anniversary celebration. I am looking forward to welcoming this immensely talented, trans-Atlantic cast assembled by Sam Mendes to perform alongside Kevin Spacey as Richard III at BAM's historic Harvey Theater in January, and to tracking the company's progress across the globe as ambassadors for classical theater on a grand scale."

Rena DeSisto, global arts and culture executive, Bank of America, says: "Our partnership with The Bridge Project has been a tremendous one for our company, and supporting their international tour is an important part of our global program of support for the arts. Each stop on the tour results in thousands of people enjoying fine theater and sharing a cultural experience with theatergoers throughout the world. The arts are unparalleled in their ability to create shared, moving experiences for people of diverse cultures, and Bank of America remains committed to supporting these opportunities."

NEW YORK AND LONDON PERFORMANCES

The Old Vic, London June 18-September 11, 2011
Press night 29 June

BAM, New York January 10-March 4, 2012
Tickets on sale Fall 2011

INTERNATIONAL TOUR DATES

Athens & Epidaurus Festival July 29-31, 2011

Hong Kong Arts Festival September 16-18, 2011

Centro Niemeyer, Spain September 28 - 1 October

Singapore Repertory Theatre November 17-26, 2011