Rupert Goold's MERCHANT OF VENICE Production Announces Full Cast

Full casting is today announced for Rupert Goold's The Merchant of Venice at the Almeida Theatre. Former Almeida Artistic Director Ian McDiarmid will play Shylock alongside Susannah Fielding and Scott Handy, who reprise their roles as Portia and Antonio. The company includes Vinta Morgan, Vincenzo Nicoli, Finlay Robertson, Raphael Sowole, Tim Steed, Jonathan Tafler, Anthony Welsh, Tom Weston-Jones and original RSC cast members Jamie Beamish, Rebecca Brewer, Caroline Martin and Emily Plumtree.

Almeida Artistic Director Rupert Goold relocates one of Shakespeare's most controversial plays to the bright lights of Las Vegas in a whirlwind of glitter, gambling and greenbacks.

The Merchant of Venice, originally produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company, is designed by Tom Scutt, with lighting by Rick Fisher, music by Adam Cork, sound by Gregory Clarke, choreography by Scott Ambler and orchestrations by Alex Baranowski They are joined at the Almeida by Casting Director Ginny Schiller, Associate Director Lisa Blair, Associate Designer Holly Pigott, Costume Supervisor Joanna Relf, Associate Musical Director Jim Hustwit and Associate Choreographer Shelby Williams.

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 andScenes 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 Bakersfield Mist (West End), 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.

Susannah Fielding will reprise her role as Portia in The Merchant of Venice. She most recently appeared in Rupert Goold's American Psycho at the Almeida and Michael Grandage's A Midsummer Night's Dream (West End). Susannah has appeared in numerous productions at the National Theatre including The Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other, Much Ado About Nothing, Philistines and The Rose Tattoo. Her other theatre credits include An Enemy of the People (Sheffield Crucible), All New People (Tour/ West End), and The School for Scandal (Theatre Royal Bath). Susannah's television credits include Death In Paradise, Pramface, Doctor Who and Wallander.

Scott Handy has previously worked with Rupert Goold on The Merchant of Venice and Faustus (Hampstead Theatre). Also for the RSC he has appeared in Troilus and Cressida, Macbeth, Victoria, Twelfth Night andThe Tempest. Scott's extensive theatre credits include Love the Sinner (National Theatre), Turandot (ENO),Cyrano De Bergerac, Macbeth, Twelfth Night (all Chichester Festival Theatre), The Seagull (Bristol Old Vic),Hamlet (Bouffes Du Nord), Hayfever (Tour/West End) and The Duchess of Malfi and As You Like It (Cheek By Jowl/ West End). On film he has appeared in Match Point, Shadowlands and A Knight's Tale. His television credits include The Village, Ripper Street, Heat of the Sun, Dangerfield and Poirot.

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

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