Rylance Replaces Brier In Complicite's Revival Of Beckett's ENDGAME, Previews 2 Oct, Opens 15 Oct

Olivier and Tony Award-winning actor Mark Rylance joins the company of Simon McBurney's production of Endgame as Hamm, taking over the role from Richard Briers. Simon McBurney will now play the role of Clov for the duration of the run. Rylance and McBurney will be joined by Miriam Margolyes as previously announced, and Tom Hickey as Nagg. To facilitate the cast changes, the production will now open on 15 October, with previews from 2 October, and run until 5 December.

Mark Rylance is currently appearing at the Royal Court in the critically acclaimed production of Jerusalem. For theatre, his other work includes Boeing Boeing (West End & Broadway - Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play), Peer Gynt (Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis), I am Shakespeare (Chichester Festival Theatre) and True West (Donmar Warehouse/West Yorkshire Playhouse). Rylance was Artistic Director for Shakespeare's Globe from 1995 - 2005 where he acted in and directed many productions including Richard II, Measure for Measure, The Golden Ass, Twelfth Night, Cymbeline and Hamlet. For television, his credits include The Government Inspector (BATFA Award for Best Actor), Richard II and Leonardo; and for film, Nocturne, The Other Boleyn Girl, Intimacy, Angels and Insects and Prospero's Books.

"Nothing is funnier than unhappiness..."

In Beckett's one act play the aged and blind Hamm and his servant Clov co-exist in a mutually dependent and fractious relationship, with only Hamm's parents, Nell and Nagg, legless from a biking accident, for company. They are condemned to a daily routine sealed off from the void outside.

Endgame, Beckett's second play, premiered in 1957 at the Royal Court in French as Fin de partie. He later translated the work into English and it was published in 1958.

Actor, writer, director and co-founder of Complicité, Simon McBurney has written, directed and acted in more than 30 productions for the company, most recently Shun-kin, A Disappearing Number, Measure for Measure, A Minute Too Late, The Elephant Vanishes, Pet Shop Boys meet Eisenstein (Trafalgar Square) and Strange Poetry (with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra in the Walt Disney Concert Hall). Other directing credits include All My Sons (with John Lithgow, Diane Wiest, Patrick Wilson and Katie Holmes on Broadway) and The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (with Al Pacino in New York). As an actor he performs extensively in feature films including Body of Lies, The Duchess, The Last King of Scotland, Friends With Money, The Golden Compass and the forthcoming Boogie Woogie, Hippie Hippie Shake, Ridley Scott's Robin Hood and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. He is the recipient of the 2008 Berlin Academy of Arts Konrad Wolf Prize for outstanding multi-disciplinary artists.

Tom Hickey joins the cast as Nagg. For theatre, his most recent work includes The Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other (National Theatre), The Crucible (Abbey Theatre) and Uncle Vanya (Gate Theatre). For television, his credits include The Life of Myles, Black Day at Black Rock and Seascape; and his many films include Breakfast on Pluto, Inside I'm Dancing, Possession, The Butcher Boy, An Awfully Big Adventure, Raining Stones, Circle of Friends and My Left Foot.

Miriam Margolyes plays Nell. Her most recent stage credits include Wicked - she originated the role of Madame Morrible in the London production, before going on to play the role on Broadway. Her other theatre work includes The Importance of Being Earnest (Bath Theatre Royal & US tour), The Killing of Sister George and Dickens' Women (both West End), Blithe Spirit (Melbourne Theatre Company) and Cloud Nine (Joint Stock/Royal Court). As well as her famed cameos in the Blackadder series, her television work includes Inconceivable, Wallis & Edward and Fall of the House of Windsor; and for film, How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Ladies in Lavender, Being Julia, Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet and James & the Giant Peach.

Adrian Scarborough, who was to play Clov until 23 October, felt it necessary to withdraw from the role due to over-committing himself for the forthcoming months. As it was a long held ambition of Richard Briers' to play Hamm alongside Scarborough - they first talked about collaborating on the production when they worked together in The Wind in the Willows at the National - he has, after much consideration and with great regret, with the producer's full support and understanding, decided not to continue with the production.

Members of the public who have booked tickets to see Endgame with Richard Briers and Adrian Scarborough can apply to their point of sale for a full refund before the 2 October 2009 should they no longer wish to see the production because of the change of cast. Also, customers who have booked to see a performance before the rescheduled 1st preview on 2 October will have priority booking for a later performance of their choice.

Designs are by Tim Hatley, with costumes by Christina Cunningham, lighting design by Paul Anderson, and sound by Christopher Shutt.

Endgame plays at the Duchess Theatre (Catherine Street, London, WC2B 5LA)2 October - 5 December, with an opening scheduled for 15 October.

Endgame will perform Monday to Saturday at 7.30pm, Matinee on Saturday at 3pm

Tickets are £20 - £46 and may be purchased by calling the box office at 0844 4124659 or by visiting www.nimaxtheatres.com.

Dayseats available at £20 from 10am each day of performance

Concessions: £20* (Subject to availability 1 hour before)

Complicité's most recent work is Shun-kin, co-produced with the Setagaya Public Theatre, Tokyo and bite09 which will tour in Autumn 2010 and A Disappearing Number winner of the 2007 Evening Standard Theatre Award, 2007 Critics' Circle Award and 2008 Laurence Olivier Award, all for Best New Play. Other recent work includes the BBC Radio adaptation of A Disappearing Number and a world tour of Measure for Measure (a co-production with the National Theatre). The company is currently working on its first opera, A Dog's Heart, for De Nederlandse Opera and an original screenplay with American writer Jonathan Safran Foer.

Complicité's education work informs and reflects its artistic programme. Working across artistic disciplines, it explores ideas that contribute to the creation of new work, as well as complementing Current Productions.

Complicité is funded by Arts Council England.

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