Simon Callow Stars In SHAKESPEARE - The Man From Stratford, Tour Kicks Off June 6

In a magical tour-de-force, Simon Callow tracks down the real William Shakespeare in the world premiere of "SHAKESPEARE - THE MAN FROM STRATFORD", a new comedy by Shakespeare scholar Jonathan Bate, which brings to life both the man and the unforgettable characters, who have since conquered the world's stages. The national tour, which is directed by Tom Cairns, begins at the Theatre Royal Plymouth on Thursday 10 June and will include a four-week residency at the Assembly Hall during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

"SHAKESPEARE - THE MAN FROM STRATFORD" follows Simon Callow's huge international success with "The Mystery of Charles Dickens" (West End and Broadway) and his recent sell-out hit "Dr Marigold & Mr Chops". Simon's many films include "A Room with a View", "Maurice" "Four Weddings and a Funeral", "Shakespeare in Love", and "Christmas Carol: The Movie", and television includes "Rome", as Charles Dickens in an episode of "Doctor Who" and Tom Chance in the series "Chance in a Million". Last year, he appeared on stage as Pozzo in "Waiting for Godot" with Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart and Ronald Pickup. He has written biographies of Oscar Wilde, Charles Laughton and Orson Welles.

Jonathan Bate is the pre-eminent Shakespeare biographer and editor of the Royal Shakespeare Company's Shakespeare: The Complete Works. He is also currently Professor of Shakespeare and Renaissance Literature at the University of Warwick and a Governor of the Royal Shakespeare Company. His book, The Genius of Shakespeare (1997), is widely held as the best modern book on Shakespeare, and his most recent book, Soul of the Age: The Life, Mind and World of William Shakespeare, was published last year.

Tom Cairns is a director, writer and designer. For theatre, his work includes director and designer of "The Music Teacher" off-Broadway, director and designer of "Phaedra" at the Donmar Warehouse, and director of "All About My Mother" at the Old Vic, and "The Odyssey" and "Aristocrats" at the National. In opera, he has directed and designed for the English National Opera, Glyndebourne Opera, Opera North and directed the Olivier Award-winning "The Tempest" at the Royal Opera House. His work in film and television includes director and screenwriter of the film "Marie and Bruce" starring Julianne Moore and Matthew Broderick, and director of the award-winning TV mini-series "Amongst Women" starring Tony Doyle, Ger Ryan, Anne-Marie Duff and Susan Lynch.

The full itinerary for the UK tour of "SHAKESPEARE - THE MAN FROM STRATFORD" is Theatre Royal Plymouth (10 - 12 June), Liverpool Playhouse (16 - 19 June), Oxford Playhouse (21 & 22 June), Cambridge Arts (23 - 26 June), Theatre Royal Bath (28 - 30 June), Sheffield Lyceum (1 - 3 July), Theatre Royal Windsor (6 - 10 July), Theatre Royal Brighton (13 - 17 July), Malvern Festival Theatre (20 - 22 July), Taunton Brewhouse Theatre (23 & 24 July), Richmond Theatre (27 - 31 July), and, as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the Assembly Hall (5 - 30 August).

"SHAKESPEARE - THE MAN FROM STRATFORD" is produced by Howard Panter for Ambassador Theatre Group and Assembly Theatre, with Marshall Cordell. For performance details and ticket prices, please visit www.manfromstratford.com - Edinburgh tickets are available from www.assemblyfestival.com.

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