Donmar Warehouse Announces Full Casting For MEASURE FOR MEASURE

The Donmar announces full casting for Artistic Director Josie Rourke's production of Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare. Joining the previously announced Hayley Atwell and Jack Lowden are Ben Allen, Matt Bardock, Nicholas Burns, Jackie Clune, Rachel Denning, Molly Harris, Adam McNamara, Raad Rawi, Sule Rimi, Anwar Russell and Helena Wilson.

Previews start from Friday 28 September 2018.

Josie Rourke's production of Measure for Measure imagines the play in its original year of performance, 1604, and also in 2018. Within every performance, Hayley Atwell and Jack Lowden will alternate the roles of the powerful Deputy and the powerless Novice.

The tempter or the tempted, who sins most?

Vienna is corrupt. The Duke, who has let the city fall to vice, hands control to his Deputy, a hardline, puritan reformer.

The Deputy uses ancient laws to sentence citizens to death for sexual misconduct. But when a religious Novice pleads for clemency, their heady encounter leaves the Deputy guilty of the very crime that the law condemns.

Josie Rourke (Director) is the Artistic Director of The Donmar Warehouse where she has directed Saint Joan, starring Gemma Arterton and broadcast live in cinemas around the world in partnership with National Theatre Live; the world premiere of Nick Payne's new play Elegy; Les Liaisons Dangereuses, which was nominated for the Olivier Award for Best Revival, ran at the Booth Theatre, New York and was broadcast live in cinemas with National Theatre Live; The Vote, which was broadcast live on More 4 on the night of the 2015 UK election to an audience of half a million and nominated for a BAFTA; City of Angels, which received the Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival; Privacy, a new play created by James Graham and Josie Rourke, which also played at The Public Theater, New York, and starred Daniel Radcliffe; Coriolanus, which was broadcast live in cinemas in partnership with National Theatre Live and for which Tom Hiddleston won the Evening Standard Award for Best Actor; The Weir, which transferred to Wyndham's Theatre; The Machine at Manchester International Festival and at Park Avenue Armory, New York; Berenice; The Physicists; The Recruiting Officer; Frame 312; and World Music. Her additional theatre credits include Much Ado About Nothing at Wyndham's Theatre, nominated for the Olivier Award for Best Revival; Men Should Weep at the National Theatre; Twelfth Night at Chicago Shakespeare; Crazyblackmuthafuckin'self and Loyal Women at the Royal Court; King John at the RSC; and The Long and the Short and the Tall and Kick for Touch at Sheffield Theatres. Rourke was previously Artistic Director of the Bush Theatre, which was named Theatre of the Year under her leadership. At the Bush Theatre, her credits include the premiere of If There Is I Haven't Found it Yet by Nick Payne. Josie's first feature film Mary Queen of Scots, produced by Working Title and Focus Features and starring Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie, will be released in cinemas later this year.

Hayley Atwell (Isabella) makes her Donmar Warehouse debut in Measure for Measure. Her theatre credits include Dry Powder (Hampstead Theatre), The Faith Machine (Royal Court Theatre), The Man of Mode, Major Barbara (National Theatre), Women Beware Women (RSC) and Prometheus Bound (West End). She has been nominated for two Olivier awards for her performances in A View from the Bridge (Duke of York's) and in The Pride (Trafalgar Studios). Her television credits include Howard's End, Pillars of the Earth, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination, Black Mirror, Life of Crime, for which she was nominated for a TV Choice Award, Any Human Heart, Restless, The Line of Beauty and the Agent Carter series. Her film credits include Christopher Robin, Cinderella, All is By My Side, The Duchess, Brideshead Revisited, Cassandra's Dream and Agent Peggy Carter in the Marvel movie franchise.

Ben Allen (Frederick) makes his Donmar Warehouse debut in Measure for Measure. His theatre credits include Present Laughter (Chichester Festival Theatre), Anthony and Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, Oppenheimer, The Shoemaker's Holiday, (RSC), The Seagull (Library Theatre), Twelfth Night, The Taming of the Shrew, The Merchant of Venice, The Winter's Tale, Henry V (Propeller), ...And Darkness Descended (Punchdrunk), Canary (Liverpool Playhouse/ Hampstead Theatre, ETT Tour), All's Well That Ends Well, The History Boys (National Theatre), and Noises Off (Ambassador Theatre Group). His television credits include Doctors, Barbarians Rising, Coronation Street and Bonekickers.

Matt Bardock (Lucio) returns to The Donmar Warehouse following his performances in Saint Joan, My Night with Reg (also Apollo), The Dark and Frame 312. Theatre credits include Kick for Touch (Sheffield Theatres), Mojo and Peaches (Royal Court) and A Midsummer Night's Dream and Macbeth (Regent's Park Open Air Theatre). Television credits include Casualty, Doctor Who, New Tricks, No Angels, The Coroner and Judge Jon Deed. Film credits include All of Nothing, Night in Hatton Garden and Topsy-Turvy.

Nicholas Burns (The Duke) returns to The Donmar Warehouse after his performances in The Vote which was also screened live on More4 and The Recruiting Officer. His theatre credits include Young Marx (The Bridge Theatre), Macbeth (Young Vic), Breeders (St James'), Kafka's Dick (Theatre Royal Bath), The Magistrate (National Theatre), 66 Books (The Bush Theatre), The Village Bike (Royal Court Theatre), Ghost Stories (Lyric Hammersmith/ West End), Fat Pig (West End), Much Ado About Nothing (Sheffield Theatres), Arcadia (Bristol Old Vic), A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Regent's Park Open Air Theatre) and The Taming of the Shrew (Nottingham Playhouse). Television credits include Manhunt, Wannabe, Midsomer Murders, The Tunnel, The Crown, Marley's Ghost Stories, Doctor Who, Uncle, Drunk History, Houdini & Doyle, Coalition, Crackanory, The Tracktate Middoth, The Crimson Field, Poirot: The Big Four, Switch, New Tricks, Eggbox, Psychoville, The Sinking of Laconia, Benidorm, Monday Monday, Mr Eleven, No Heroics, Other People, Never Better, The IT Crowd, Roman's Empire, Marple: At Bertrams Hotel, Man Stroke Woman, Born Equal, Fear of Fanny, Modern Men, Nighty Night, The Mighty Boosh, Absolute Power, Nathan Barley, Swiss Toni, A Touch of Frost, Cambridge Spies and Swivel on the Tip. His film credits include The Little Strangers, Ghost Stories, The Lady in the Van, War Book and The Worlds End.

Jackie Clune (Pompey) returns to The Donmar Warehouse following her performances in Julius Caesar and The Vote which was also screened live on More4, as well as Henry IV and The Tempest including their St Ann's Warehouse transfers. Theatre credits include Utility, Fallen Angels, Candide, 9 to 5, Mogadishu, Billy Elliot, Julie Burchill is Away and Showstopper. Television credits include Good Omens, Borderline S2, Motherland, Three Girls, Borderline, Breathtaking, The Bill, EastEnders and Waking the Dead. Film credits include Jawbone and Denial.

Rachel Denning (Mistress Overdone) returns to The Donmar Warehouse following her performance in The Vote which was also screened live on More4. Theatre credits include Dr Frankenstein (Northern Stage), The Government Inspector (Birmingham Rep), Redefining Juliet (Barbican), See How They Run (Reduced Height Theatre Company), Curious Curios (Kazzum), Volpone (Fire Under The Horizon), Speakeasy Monologue Evening (Insignificant Theatre), Story Whores (paper/scissors/stone) and Dick Whittington (Chaplins). Film and Television credits include Artemis Fowl, Doctor Who, Call The Midwife, Life's Too Short.

Molly Harris (Francisca) makes her Donmar Warehouse debut in Measure for Measure. Her theatre credits include Dogville, The Tempest, Three Days in the Country, Rhinoceros, Summer and Smoke (Rose Bruford College), Barefoot Gen (Maya Productions) and Lines (Pangean Productions). Film credits include Monsoon and Artemis Fowl.

Jack Lowden (Angelo) makes his Donmar Warehouse debut in Measure for Measure. His theatre credits include Ghosts (Almeida and West End) for which he received both the Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Ian Charleson Award, Chariots of Fire (Hampstead Theatre and West End), and Blackwatch (Barbican). Jack's television credits include War and Peace, The Passing Bells, The Tunnel, Mrs. Biggs, Blue Haven and Being Victor. His work on film includes the forthcoming motion pictures Mary Queen of Scots, directed by Josie Rourke and Fighting With My Family, directed by Stephen Merchant. Further film credits include Dunkirk, England is Mine, Denial, A United Kingdom, Tommy's Honour, Calibre, '71 and uwantme2killhim?

Adam McNamara (Provost) returns to The Donmar Warehouse following his performance in The Physicists. Theatre credits include Stand By (Utter Productions/ Byre Theatre), Harry Potter and The Cursed Child (Palace Theatre), Black Watch (National Theatre Scotland), Hamlet (Young Vic), Betrayed (Tron Theatre) and Sub Rosa (Fire Exit). His television credits include Casualty, Last Commanders, EastEnders, Vikings, You Me and the Apocalypse, The Interceptor and Single Father. Film credits include Bitter Harvest and Mary Queen of Scots.

Raad Rawi (Escalus) makes his Donmar Warehouse debut in Measure for Measure. His theatre credits include Salomé, Stuff Happens, The Waiting Room, Antony & Cleopatra (National Theatre), Chilcot (LUNG at The Lowry and Battersea Arts Centre), Breaking The Code, The Moonstone, A Man with a Flower in his Mouth, As You Like It (Manchester Royal Exchange), Fred's Diner (Chichester Theatre), The Great Game: Afghanistan (Tricycle Theatre and US Tour), Medea (Creon), The Fever Chart (Theatre Royal York), Invasion! (Soho Theatre), Called To Account, Number: The Three Responses, Half the Picture (Tricycle Theatre), The Romans In Britain, Queuing for Everest, A View From The Bridge (Sheffield Theatres), Bombay Dreams (West End), Shoot (Jermyn Street Theatre), Much Ado About Nothing, Sara (Cheek by Jowl), The Winter's Tale (Method & Madness), The Simpleton of the Unexpected Isle (Orange Tree Richmond), The Brutality of Fact (New End, Hampstead), Madman of the Balconies, Oblomov (Gate Theatre), Deborah's Daughter (Library Theatre), A Flea in Her Ear (Theatr Clwyd and West Yorkshire Playhouse), Berenice, The Maids (Lyric Hammersmith), The Care of Time (Anglia), Eurovision (Drill Hall), Animal (Southampton), The Miser (Birmingham and Tour), Dead Men (Traverse), The Cherry Orchard, Women Beware Women, Birds (Oxford), Buck Ruxton (Lancaster), of Passage (Hampstead Theatre), Measure For Measure, Fitting for Ladies (Edinburgh Lyceum), Naked Robots, A Midsummer Night's Dream (RSC) and Cymbeline, Science Fictions, Arabian Nights (Shared Experience). His film credits include Official Secrets, Jungle Tribes, A Private War, A Hundred Streets, Spy, Nothing Like This, Wall, Conan, The Devil's Double, John Carter From Mars, Greenzone, Traitor, The Kingdom, Nina's Heavenly Delights, Mona Lisa, Midnight Express and Misunderstood. Television credits include Unforgotten 2, Tyrant, The Honourable Woman, The Bible, Generation Kill, The Tudors, House of Saddam, Death Becomes Him, Spooks, Wire in the Blood, Murphy's Law, Trial & Retribution VII, Judge John Deed, Dr Willoughby, Bodyguards, Cadfael, Half the Picture, Young Indy, Bugs 'Hot Metal', Degrees of Error, Heroes & Villains, The Bill, The Detectives, Supper at Emmaus, Hostages, Big Battalions, Murder of a Moderate Man, A Cotswold Death, Bergerac, The Trial of Klaus Barbie, Making News, The One Game, This is David Lander, Tales of the Unexpected, Blind Justice, Coronation Street and Holby City.

Sule Rimi (Claudio) makes his Donmar Warehouse debut in Measure for Measure. Theatre credits include Love and Information (Sheffield Theatres), The Barbershop Chronicles (National Theatre, Australia and New Zealand), Desire Under the Elms (Sheffield Theatres), Mary Stuart, They Drink It In The Congo (Almeida Theatre), The Suicide (National Theatre), The Rolling Stone (The Royal Exchange, West Yorkshire Playhouse and Orange Tree Theatre), Bordergame (National Theatre Wales), Babes in the Woods (Rainbow Valley Productions), Downtown Paradise rehearsed reading (Welsh Fargo Theatre Company), Othello (Fluellen Theatre Company), Muscle (Shock n Awe), Serious Money (Walking Exploits), Robinson Crusoe, Aladdin (Owen Money Theatre Company), Stanley's Magic Lamp and the Heart of Darkness (Twm O'r Nant), New Arrivals rehearsed reading (Sherman Theatre Company) and Do Mice Think Bats Are Angels?, Othello, Victory (UGly). Television credits include Death in Paradise, Tourist Trap, Birds of a Feather Christmas Special, Strikeback, Casualty, Unforgotten, Stella, Mistress, Crash, Caerdydd, The Black Lion, Y Pris, Scrum IV, Doctor Who, Fondue, Sex and Dinosaurs, The Story of Tracey Beaker, First Degree, Outside the Rules, Rugby Promo and WDA Promos. Film credits include Ashens & The Quest for the Game Child, Bad f-ing, Half of a Yellow Sun, Mariah Mundi & The Midas Box, Silent Night, Bloody Night; the Homecoming, The Machine, Elfie Hopkins and the Gammonss, Night of the Living Dead: Resurrections, Panic Button, Rock 'N' Roll Killers, Eastern Promises, Daddy's Girl, Starter for Ten and The 'I' Inside.

Anwar Russell (Thomas) makes his Donmar Warehouse debut in Measure for Measure. Theatre credits include The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Out of this World with V-Tol and Imogen (Shakespeare's Globe), The Drowned Man with Punchdrunk and Can We Talk About This? with DV8 Physical Theatre (National Theatre) and Mischief with Theatre Rites (Broadway). Film credits include The Mummy, World War Z and Sunshine on Leith. Anwar choreographed Spring Awakening (Royal Conservatoire Scotland / Dundee Rep), was assistant movement director on Passing Places (Dundee Rep) and co-directed the 2016 Brighton Fringe Award winning show It Started With Jason Donovan.

Helena Wilson (Mariana) returns to The Donmar Warehouse after her performance in The Lady from the Sea directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah. She is also currently starring in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. Helena's theatre credits include Love Me Now (Tristan Bates Theatre), Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (The Old Vic), Romeo and Juliet (Thelma Holt International Tour), The Alchemist (OUDS National Tour), Breathing Corpses (Knack Kneed Theatre), The Architect (Hypnotist Theatre), Dahling, You Were Marvellous! (Burton Taylor Studio), Lord of the Flies (O'Reilly Theatre), Slag (Burton Taylor Studio) and Cabaret (Robinson Theatre).

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