Casting Updates Announced For THE PROVOKED WIFE and VENICE PRESERVED

Royal Shakespeare Company Associate Artist Alexandra Gilbreath returns to the company in Phillip Breen's riotous new production of John Vanbrugh's restoration comedy The Provoked Wife. Alexandra last appeared at the RSC as feisty courtesan Angellica Bianca in the 2016 production of The Rover by Aphra Behn. Other leading roles for the RSC include Hermione in The Winter's Tale, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Rosalind in As You Like It, Kate in The Taming of the Shrew and Mistress Ford in The Merry Wives of Windsor.

Alexandra will be joined by Caroline Quentin who will return to the company to play Lady Fanciful. Caroline was last seen at the RSC starring as Lady Sarah Hotham alongside Mark Addy as Sir John Hotham in Phillip Breen's 2017 production of The Hypocrite in a co-production with Hull Truck as part of Hull's UK City of Culture. Famous for her roles in Men Behaving Badly (TV/BBC) and Jonathan Creek (BBC) Caroline first appeared at the RSC in the original production of Les Misérables(1985).

RSC Associate Artist Jonathan Slinger returns to play Sir John Brute. His numerous RSC credits include the title role in Hamlet, Prospero in The Tempest and Lenny in The Homecoming. Jonathan played the title roles in both Richard II and Richard III as part of Michael Boyd's Histories Cycle, which saw him nominated twice for Best Actor in the Evening Standard Awards in 2008. Other theatre credits include playing Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, Absolute Hell at the National Theatre and Fanny and Alexander at the Old Vic.

Phillip Breen (The Hypocrite, The Shoemaker's Holiday, The Merry Wives of Windsor) directs the outspoken Restoration romp that shocked 17th century society.

The production is designed by Mark Bailey, with lighting by Tina MacHugh, music by Paddy Cunneen, sound by Dyfan Jones, Movement by Ayse Tashkiran and fights by Renny Krupinski.

Following her roles in A Life of Galileo, Written on the Heart and Measure for Measure, Jodie McNee will play Belvidera in a new version of Thomas Otway's Venice Preserved, a savage political thriller and a love story of breath-taking intensity directed by Prasanna Puwanarajah

Driven by love and revenge, two disaffected noblemen join a revolutionary movement to overthrow the corrupt leaders of their failed city state. But the conspirators they join are as corrupt as those in power, and their friendship is torn to pieces in the furnace of love in this fast-paced new version of Otway's restoration tragedy.

This will be Prasanna's first time directing for the RSC, having previously acted in Gregory Doran's Twelfth Night in 2010, the National Theatre/s production of Absolute Hell and in the hit TV shows Doctor Foster and Patrick Melrose.

The production is designed by James Cotterill with lighting design by Jack Knowles, sound by George Dennis, fights by Kate Waters and video by Nina Dunn.

Notes to Editors:For further information, please contact kate.evans@rsc.org.uk 01789 412 622For press tickets please contact dean.asker@rsc.org.uk 01789 412660To book tickets call 01789 331 111 or online at www.rsc.org.uk.

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