Chichester's Festival Theatre Reopens With AMADEUS, Starring Rupert Everett, Now thru Aug 2

Chichester's Festival Theatre reopens today with a new production of Amadeus, featuring West End and Hollywood star Rupert Everett alongside acclaimed young actor Joshua McGuire.

Everett will be the very first actor to be seen by an audience on the Festival Theatre stage following the £22 million redevelopment of the Grade II* listed building.

Amadeus is a fictionalised account of the rivalry between court composer Salieri and the young genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, set amidst the splendour of 18th century Vienna.

The multi award-winning play - later adapted into an Oscar-winning film - will be the second production by Peter Shaffer to be staged during Festival 2014. Shaffer's Black Comedy will also run as part of the season, alongside three weekends of special events. This major celebration of Shaffer's work reflects his importance to Chichester Festival Theatre dating back to 1964, and his wider success as one of Britain's greatest living playwrights.

Rupert Everett plays embittered court composer Salieri. Everett returns to Chichester for the first time since his acclaimed performance in Pygmalion (2010). Other theatre credits include The Judas Kiss (a Chichester co-production), for which he won a Whatsonstage.com Award and Olivier Award nomination. Film credits include The Madness of King George, Another Country and Dance with a Stranger.

Joshua McGuire plays Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. His credits include a leading role in the highly praised production of Privacy (Donmar Warehouse), Posh at the Royal Court and West End, and the title role in Hamlet at Shakespeare's Globe. Screen credits include Mr Turner which won rave reviews at the Cannes Film Festival 2014 and BBC 2's The Hour.

Jessie Buckley plays Constanze Weber. Credits include Michael Grandage's production of Henry V, The Tempest at Shakespeare's Globe and A Little Night Music at the Menier Chocolate Factory.

Richard Clifford plays Baron Gottfried van Swieten. Credits include the recent West End production of Henry V, Cause Celebre (Old Vic) and the West End production of The Magistrate.

Simon Jones plays Joseph II Emperor of Austria. His credits include the current West End and 2009 Broadway productions of Blithe Spirit, and the cult TV and radio series' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Timothy Kightley plays Count Johann Killian von Strack. Credits include The Taming of the Shrew and A Midsummer Night's Dream (Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park), Luminosity (RSC) and the West End production of Arcadia.

John Standing plays Count Franz Orsini-Rosenberg. Credits include West End productions of Shadowlands, A Delicate Balance and A Month in the Country.

Derek Hutchinson plays Venticello 2. Credits include Medea and Much Ado About Nothing (both for Harvey Theatre at BAM, New York).

James Simmons plays Venticello 1. Chichester credits include A Marvellous Year for Plums, Rosencrantz and Guildernstern Are Dead (also West End) and The Rivals (also tour and West End).

The cast also includes Marc Antolin, Jeremy Bennett, Leon Cooke, Jessica Duncan, Jack Edwards, Stephanie Elstob, Harry Francis, Molly-Mae Gardiner, Dann Kharsa, Dermot McLaughlin, Karl Moffatt, Emily Shaw, Deborah Vale and Natalie Woods.

Amadeus is directed by Jonathan Church, Chichester's Artistic Director. Chichester credits include The Last Confession (Toronto, Los Angeles and Australia tour), Singin' in the Rain (also West End and tour), The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (also West End) and The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (also West End). Other credits include Of Mice And Men (West End and tour) and The Witches (West End and tour).

Musical Staging is by Stephen Mear, Chichester's Associate Choreographer. Chichester credits include The Pajama Game (also West End) and Kiss Me, Kate (also The Old Vic). Other credits include West End productions of Shoes, Mary Poppins, Hello, Dolly!, Crazy for You and Anything Goes (National Theatre and West End).

Design is by Simon Higlett, Chichester's Associate Designer. Chichester credits include The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (also West End), Singin' in the Rain, (also West End, and UK tour later this year), Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Yes, Prime Minister, Taking Sides and Collaboration (all of which transferred to the West End). Other credits include West End productions of The Rivals and When We Are Married.

Costume Design is by Fotini Dimou, whose Chichester credits include Rosencrantz and Guildernstern Are Dead (also West End), Hay Fever and The Last Confession (also West End). Other credits include The Duchess of Malfi and Julius Caesar (both for the RSC), Gethsemane, Terese Raquin and The Seagull (all for the National Theatre).

Lighting Design is by Tim Mitchell, Chichester's Associate Lighting Designer. Chichester credits include The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (also West End), Kiss Me, Kate (also West End), Singin' in the Rain (also West End and UK tour), Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (also West End) Bingo (also Young Vic) and Yes, Prime Minister (also West End and UK tour).

Music Direction is by Matthew Scott, Chichester's Associate Composer. Chichester credits include The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (also West End), Private Lives (also West End), A Marvellous Year for Plums, The Deep Blue Sea and Rattigan's Nijinsky, The Critic and The Real Inspector Hound, Taking Sides and Collaboration (which transferred to the West End), The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby Parts I and II, Entertaining Angels and Pravda.

Sound Design is by Paul Groothuis, Chichester's Associate Sound Designer. Chichester credits include The Pajama Game (also West End), Kiss Me, Kate, Sweeney Todd and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, all of which transferred to the West End. Other credits include His Dark Materials, Edmond, Henry V and A Streetcar Named Desire (all for the National Theatre).

Projection Design is by Ian William Galloway. Chichester credits include A Marvellous Year for Plums and Singin' in the Rain (also West End and tour). Other credits include Spring Awakening (Headlong), Oh, What A Lovely War (Theatre Royal, Stratford East), Wendy & Peter Pan (RSC) and The Light Princess (National Theatre).

Amadeus is sponsored by the University of Chichester.

Amadeus is at the Festival Theatre, Chichester, from today 12 July - 2 August. Evenings 7.30pm (except for the Press Night, Friday 18 July, 7.00pm), matinees 2.30pm. Tickets: Previews/Press Night from £10. All other performances from £15. To book, go to cft.org.uk or contact the Box Office on 01243 781312.

Special Prices for 16 - 25s

An allocation of tickets for 16 - 25 year olds priced at just £8.50 for all performances of Amadeus are now on sale. These may be booked on 01243 781312, online at cft.org.uk/850 or in person.

Events

Director Jonathan Church will be in conversation with author and broadcaster Kate Mosse on Wednesday 16 July at 5.45pm. Tickets free, but advance booking is essential.

There will also be the chance to meet some of the Amadeus company at a post-show discussion on Thursday 31 July.

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