RSC's MERCHANT OF VENICE, GAME World Premiere & CARMEN Reimagining Set for the Almeida's 2014-15 Season

The Almeida Theatre has announced its new Winter-Spring 2014-15 season, featuring Rupert Goold's celebrated RSC production of THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, starring Ian McDiarmid as Shylock and Susannah Fielding reprising her role as Portia; Robert Icke directing Tobias Menzies in an intimate staging of Wallace Shawn's THE FEVER AT THE MAY FAIR HOTEL; the World Premiere of Mike Bartlett's play GAME, directed by Sacha Wares and designed by Miriam Buether in a radical reconfiguration of the theater; and Simon Stephens reimagining Bizet's CARMEN in the UK premiere of CARMEN DISRUPTION, helmed by Michael Longhurst.

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THE SEASON:

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE
by William Shakespeare
Directed by Rupert Goold

5 December 2014 - 14 February 2015
Press Night 15 December

Almeida Theatre Artistic Director Rupert Goold brings his electrifying production of The Merchant of Venice, originally produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company, to the Almeida.

Following his recently acclaimed productions King Charles III and American Psycho, Goold explosively relocates one of Shakespeare's most controversial plays to the bright lights of Las Vegas in a whirlwind of glitter, gambling and greenbacks.

Former Almeida Artistic Director Ian McDiarmid will play Shylock. Many of the original RSC cast will reprise their roles including Jamie Beamish, Rebecca Brewer, Susannah Fielding, Scott Handy, Caroline Martin and Emily Plumtree.

Designs are by Tom Scutt, lighting by Rick Fisher, music by Adam Cork, sound by Gregory Clarke, choreography by Scott Ambler and orchestrations by Alex Baranowski.

Ian McDiarmid was Artistic Director of the Almeida with Jonathan Kent from 1990 - 2001. Under their tenure, productions included The Iceman Cometh starring Kevin Spacey and Coriolanus starring Ralph Fiennes. As an actor, Ian's many credits at the Almeida include The Embalmer, Faith Healer, The Tempest, The Government Inspector and Volpone. As a director, his Almeida productions include A Hard Heart and Scenes From An Execution. His other extensive theatre credits include many productions for the RSC, Royal Court, National Theatre, Barbican, Royal Exchange and Donmar Warehouse. He was previously directed by Rupert Goold in Six Characters in Search of an Author for Headlong. Most recently he has performed in Life Of Galileo (RSC), The Faith Machine (Royal Court), Emperor and Galilean (National Theatre) and The Prince of Homberg (Donmar Warehouse). He is best known on screen for playing Emperor Palpatine in the Star Wars films and recent television credits include Utopia and 37 Days.

The Merchant of Venice is presented by arrangement with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

THE FEVER
by Wallace Shawn
Directed by Robert Icke
at The May Fair Hotel

7 January - 7 February 2015

Following Mr Burns and 1984, Almeida Associate Director Robert Icke directs Tobias Menzies in a site specific staging of Wallace Shawn's The Fever. Shawn's searing monologue will be performed for a small audience in the intimate surroundings of a suite at The May Fair Hotel.

In a hotel in a distant city, a man is looking for answers. Back at home, he can only see questions. Does everything have a price? Do people? Does killing?

Deeply thoughtful and beautifully written, Shawn's confessional play cuts deep into our relationship to our world and our wealth.

The Fever will be performed to an audience of 28. Ticket availability is very limited.

Wallace Shawn's many plays include Marie and Bruce, The Designated Mourner, Aunt Dan and Lemon and Grasses of A Thousand Colors. His screenplays include My Dinner With Andre, Vanya on 42nd Street, and most recently A Master Builder. As an actor he is best known for the cult classic My Dinner with Andre as well as The Princess Bride, Clueless and Manhattan.

Almeida Associate Director Robert Icke most recently directed Mr Burns at the Almeida. Other Almeida credits include 1984, co-created with Duncan Macmillan, which has just enjoyed a successful West End run and is currently on a second UK tour. Robert was previously Associate Director at Headlong where he worked with Rupert Goold to conceive and develop Decade, directed Boys by Ella Hickson and a UK tour of Romeo and Juliet. Elsewhere, his theatre credits include The Alchemist at Liverpool Playhouse and Catalysta at Ovalhouse.

Tobias Menzies' previous credits for the Almeida include Cloud Nine and Platonov. His other theatre work includes Decade and King Lear for Headlong (Liverpool Playhouse/Young Vic), Three Sisters and The Children's Hour (both West End), The Recruitment Officer (Donmar Warehouse), The History Boys (National Theatre), Hamlet (Royal and Derngate), Arcadia (Royal and Derngate /Salisbury Playhouse), The Cherry Orchard (Sheffield Crucible) and Light (Theatre de Complicite). On television he has appeared in Any Human Heart, The IT Crowd, Foyles War, Rome, Spooks, Game of Thrones, The Thick of It and The Honourable Woman and on film Casino Royale, Finding Neverland and Atonement.

The May Fair Hotel is Venue Partner for The Fever.

World Premiere

GAME
by Mike Bartlett
Directed by Sacha Wares

23 February - 4 April
Press performances 3 March 7pm & 9.30pm

Mike Bartlett returns to the Almeida, following the success of King Charles III, with the World Premiere of this provocative new play. Director Sacha Wares makes her Almeida debut and is joined by award winning-designer Miriam Buether following their previous collaborations on Wild Swans, Sucker Punch, My Child and generations.

In a housing crisis, a young couple is offered a home of their own. But at what price? Invasive and unnerving, Mike Bartlett's latest play invites us to spy on a family as they explore a dangerous new way to live.

Miriam Buether radically reconfigures the Almeida's auditorium for this ground-breaking production. Sound design will be by Gareth Fry and video by Leo Warner of 59 Productions. Game will be general admission.

Mike Bartlett's other plays include King Charles III, An Intervention, Earthquakes in London, Artefacts (for which he won the Old Vic New Voices Award), c*ck(which was awarded an Olivier Award in 2010 for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre at the Royal Court), Love, Love, Love (which won Best New Play at the 2011 Theatre Awards UK), Bull, Chariots of Fire, Contractions, My Child, Medea and 13. His plays for radio include Not Talking (for which he won the Writers' Guild Tinniswood and Imison prizes), The Core, Heart, Liam, The Steps, Love Contract and The Family Man. In 2013 he was nominated for a BAFTA for television series The Town. Previously he was Pearson Playwright in Residence at the Royal Court and Writer-In-Residence at the National Theatre. He is currently Associate Playwright at Paines Plough. As a director his credits include Medea (Headlong/ UK Tour) and Honest (Royal & Derngate).

Sacha Wares previously collaborated with Mike Bartlett on My Child at the Royal Court. Her other credits at the Royal Court include Sucker Punch, random and Credible Witness. She directed Wild Swans and generations at the Young Vic, trade at the RSC, Guantanamo at the Tricycle, in the West End and Off Broadway, A Number for Theatre Project Tokyo and Bintou at the Arcola Theatre. She is an Associate Director of the Young Vic and Royal Court.

Miriam Buether won the 2010 Evening Standard Award for Sucker Punch (Royal Court) and Earthquakes in London (National Theatre). Her previous work for the Almeida includes Judgement Day and When the Rain Stops Falling, For the Young Vic she has designed Wild Swans, Government Inspector, The Good Soul of Szechuan, In the Red and Brown Water and generations and for the Royal Court In the Republic of Happiness, Get Santa!, Cock, Relocated, My Child and Way to Heaven. Her opera credits include Anna Nicole at the Royal Opera House and Turandot for English National Opera.

UK Premiere

CARMEN DISRUPTION
by Simon Stephens
Directed by Michael Longhurst

10 April - 23 May 2015
Press Performance 17 April

Award-winning playwright Simon Stephens(The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Birdland, Three Kingdoms) makes his Almeida debut with a dramatic reimagining of Bizet's Carmen. This UK Premiere will be directed by Michael Longhurst following his universally acclaimed production of Constellations.

In the opulent grandeur of a European city, a renowned singer abandons the opera house for the truth of the streets. A gorgeous prostitute. A tough-talking taxi driver. A global trader. A teenage dreamer. Everyone's looking for something.

Simon Stephens' strange and beautiful new play explores the possibility of love in a fractured urban world.

Simon Stephens' recent work includes his Olivier Award-winning adaptation of Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time for the National Theatre which is currently playing in the West End and is soon to open on Broadway, an adaptation of Ibsen's A Doll's House for the Young Vic which transferred to the West End, Birdland for the Royal Court, Three Kingdoms for the Lyric Hammersmith and Port which was recently revived at the National Theatre. Other plays include Harper Regan, Sea Wall, Punk Rock, Wastwater, Pornography, Motortown, Country Music, Herons, Bluebird and On the Shore of the Wide World.

Michael Longhurst's acclaimed production of Nick Payne's Constellations opened at the Royal Court then transferred to the West End, winning the Evening Standard Award for Best Play in 2012. Constellations will open on Broadway later this year starring Jake Gyllenhaal. Michael also directed Jake Gyllenhaal in Nick Payne's If There Is I Haven't Found It Yet on Broadway. His other work includes Bad Jews for Theatre Royal Bath, A Number for Nuffield Theatre, The Art of Dying and Remembrance Day for the Royal Court, Dealer's Choice for Royal and Derngate, The History Boys for Sheffield Crucible, The World of Extreme Happiness for the National Theatre, dirty butterfly for the Young Vic where he was recipient of the Jerwood Directors Award and Stovepipe for High Tide in collaboration with the National Theatre and the Bush Theatre.

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Tickets for the new productions will go on sale to Almeida Members on 16 September and to the general public on 23 September. Box Office: 020 7359 4404 (10am - 7.30pm). Online: almeida.co.uk.

Photo Credit: NB Studio

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