Jessie Buckley, Tom Bateman and More Join Kenneth Branagh's THE WINTER'S TALE

According to the Daily Mail, Jessie Buckley will play 'Perdita' in Kenneth Branagh's upcoming production of THE WINTER'S TALE. Branagh and Rob Ashford will co-direct the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company's first show of the year, which is slated to run October 17, 2015, through January 16, 2016.

In case you need to brush up on your Shakespeare, Perdita is a girl raised by a shepherd unaware of the drama between her real, royal parents -- King Leontes (played by Branagh) and his supposedly unfaithful wife, Queen Hermione (portrayed by Miranda Raison). Judi Dench is also in the cast as 'Paulina', who saves Perdita from a horrible fate.

Buckley commented to the Mail that her character, "injects a bit of hope into a world that has been bleak and wintery" with her "forgiveness, hope, love and redemption."

She went on to discuss how THE WINTER'S TALE deals with love, saying, "At the beginning, the love is steeped in jealousy and the bad side of what it can make you feel" but that when the story changes locales, the perspective shifts. "He's good, old William Shakespeare, isn't he?!" Buckley added.

Also new to the cast are Michael Pennington, John Shrapnel, Hadley Fraser, Zoe Rainey, Kathryn Wilder and Jack Colgrave Hurst. SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE's Tom Bateman will play Perdita's love interest, 'Florizel'.

Buckley recently appeared opposite Jude Law in Michael Grandage's HENRY V. She will soon appear in the TV miniseries of WAR AND PEACE. Among her other London stage credits are A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, THE TEMPEST, GABRIEL and more.

Pictured: Alexander Hanson and Jessie Buckley in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC at the Garrick in 2009. Photo by Catherine Ashmore.