Shakespeare's Globe has announced the all-female cast for Morgan Lloyd Malcolm's new play Emilia, directed by Nicole Charles. The play charts the life of Emilia Bassano, the poet, mother and feminist who is thought to have inspired the 'Dark Lady' in Shakespeare's sonnets as well as the Emilia characters who appear in Othello, The Two Noble Kinsmen, The Winter's Tale and The Comedy of Errors. Emilia continues to thread her way through each of the plays in which she appears this summer season, excepting Emilia the Abbess in The Comedy of Errors.
Nadia Albina will play Lady Katherine, returning to the Globe after appearing in Ellen McDougall's Othello in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse last year and Iqbal Khan's Macbeth in 2016. Nadia's other recent theatre work includes Macbeth (National Theatre) and Quiz (Chichester Festival Theatre). Television includes Marcella and Trauma (ITV).
Anna Andresen is Mary Sidney. Anna's previous theatre work includes The Mousetrap (West End), The Frozen Scream (Birmingham Hippodrome) and The 39 Steps (Criterion Theatre). Television includes Silent Witness and Fortitude.
Shiloh Coke will play Lady Anne Clifford. Shiloh appeared in Misty at the Bush Theatre earlier this year and also starred in Phyllida Lloyd's all-female Shakespeare Trilogy at The Donmar Warehouse.
Leah Harvey will play Emilia 1. Leah graduated from LAMDA in 2016, after which she starred in Phyllida Lloyd's all-female Shakespeare Trilogy at The Donmar Warehouse. Film work includes Michael Winterbottom's On the Road and Stephen Merchant's Fighting With My Family.
Jenni Maitland will play Countess of Kent, returning to The Globe after appearing in John Dove's In Extremis in 2007. Her other theatre credits include By Jeeves (Landor Theatre), Guys and Dolls (Cambridge Arts Theatre) and The Rivals (Southwark Playhouse).
Clare Perkins is Emilia 3. Clare is currently starring in Genesis Inc at Hampstead Theatre. Her other recent theatre work includes Daisy Pulls It Off (Park Theatre), Primetime (Royal Court/UK Tour) and Roundelay (Southwark Playhouse). Television credits include Death in Paradise (BBC) and Damned (Channel 4).
Carolyn Pickles is Lord Henry Carey. Carolyn is best known for multiple television roles, having appeared in the hit BBC series Broadchurch, as well as Vera and EastEnders. Carolyn's recent theatre work includes Charles III (West End) and Beasts (Theatre 503). Films include Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus.
Vinette Robinson is Emilia 2. Vinette is best known for her role as Nicola in the BBC television series The A-Word. She also won the Clarence Derwent Award for her role as Ophelia in Ian Rickson's 2012 production of Hamlet at the Young Vic. Vinette's other theatre work includes Albion (Almeida), Trout Stanley and Tender Napalm (Southwark Playhouse). Television work includes Delicious (Sky), Close to the Enemy (BBC) and Black Mirror (Netflix).
Sophie Russell is Lord Thomas Howard. Sophie's recent theatre work includes The Prudes (Royal Court), Young Marx (Bridge Theatre) and Winnie and Wilbur (Birmingham Rep). Television includes Living in Fear (Sky). Film includes The Invisible Woman.
Sarah Seggari will play Lady Cordelia, also returning to The Globe after appearing in Matthew Dunster's Much Ado About Nothing last summer.
Sophie Stone is Lady Margaret Clifford. Sophie's recent theatre work includes Jubilee (Royal Exchange), The Government Inspector (Birmingham Rep) and Herons (Lyric Theatre Hammersmith). Television includes Shetland (BBC), The Crown (Netflix) and The Moonstone (BBC). Sophie won Best Actress at the 2013 Cinedeaf Festival for short film Retreat.
Charity Wakefield will play William Shakespeare, returning to the Globe stage after playing Desdemona in Othello in 2005. Charity is known for multiple television roles, having appeared in Wolf Hall, Close to the Enemy, Doctor Who (BBC) and Bounty Hunters (Sky). Charity's other theatre work includes Seminar, The Blackest Black (Hampstead Theatre) and Candida (Bath Theatre Royal).
Amanda Wilkin is Alphonso Lanier. Amanda returns to The Globe after appearing in the Globe to Globe tour of Hamlet, which travelled to 197 countries in 2014 and 2016. Her recent theatre work includes The Grinning Man (Trafalgar Studios), The 306:Day (National Theatre of Scotland) and La Ronde (Bunker Theatre).
The full cast includes: Nadia Albina, Anna Andresen, Shiloh Coke, Leah Harvey, Jenni Maitland, Clare Perkins, Carolyn Pickles, Vinette Robinson, Sophie Russell, Sarah Seggari, Sophie Stone, Charity Wakefield and Amanda Wilkin.
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