The RSC's DON QUIXOTE Transfers To The West End For A Limited Season At The Garrick Theatre

It is announced today that the Royal Shakespeare Company's Don Quixote, which originally premiered at the RSC's Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in spring 2016, will transfer to the Garrick Theatre in London's West End from 27 October 2018 to 2 February 2019.

The award-winning poet, journalist and literary critic James Fenton has adapted Miguel de Cervantes' iconic novel which tells the famous, farcical story of a self-fashioned travelling knight accompanied by his faithful squire.

A labyrinthine world of rogues, merchants, shepherds, galley-slaves and windmills combine to confront the pair with a world of rampant, absurd adventures in this brilliantly energised adaptation of the comic epic.

RSC Artistic Director Gregory Doran said: "We are delighted that Angus Jackson's joyful production of Don Quixote is going to be shared with West End audiences this autumn, following my production of Imperium playing at the Gielgud Theatre and our regular winter season of Shakespeare plays at the Barbican.

Don Quixote's journey with his faithful sidekick is one of the world's most famous stories, and James Fenton's glorious adaptation brings Cervantes' novel wonderfully to life.

First staged in Stratford-upon-Avon to mark the 400th anniversary of Cervantes' death, David Threlfall will reprise his mesmerising performance in the title role, with Rufus Hound once again playing his long-suffering companion Sancho Panza.

London audiences will get the chance to see them recreate their chemistry on stage and I encourage everyone to discover this hilarious, profound and lyrical adaptation of a classic tale."

Co-producer and theatre owner Nica Burns said: "Having seen this glorious production which premiered at the Swan Theatre in 2016, we are thrilled to be collaborating with the RSC to share this joyous and moving evening with a wider audience at its new home at the Garrick Theatre."

Don Quixote will again be played by David Threlfall, best known for his leading role as Frank Gallagher in Channel 4's Shameless. His other recent TV work includes Tommy Cooper: Not Like That, Like This, Black Sea, Housewife 49, What Remains and most recently he appeared in the BBC/Netflix series Troy: Fall of a City. His original appearance in the show in Stratford marked a long-awaited return to the RSC for Threlfall, whose last performance there was in his award-winning role of Smike in the iconic adaptation of Nicholas Nickleby in 1980.

Actor and comedian Rufus Hound will return to play Quixote's squire, Sancho Panza. Hound's recent work includes the Rose Theatre Kingston's War of the Roses cycle, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Savoy Theatre), One Man Two Guvnors (NT/West End), Wind in the Willows (London Palladium Theatre), What the Butler Saw (Curve Leicester), Present Laughter (Chichester) and the upcoming new musical Dusty (UK tour).

After a lifetime of reading books on chivalry, Don Quixote decides to embark on a quest of his own. Taking up a lance and sword, he sets out to become a wandering knight, defending the helpless and vanquishing the wicked. Hopelessly unprepared and increasingly losing his grip on reality, he travels across Spain accompanied by his faithful and equally ill-suited squire, Sancho Panza.

The production is once again directed by RSC Associate Director Angus Jackson who previously worked on the critically acclaimed production Oppenheimer, which transferred to the West End in 2015 after a sell-out run at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. Last year, he was season director of the ROME MMXVII season of Shakespeare plays (RST and Barbican).

Don Quixote is designed by Robert Innes Hopkins, with music composed by Grant Olding, lighting by Mark Henderson and sound by Fergus O'Hare. The fight director is Malcolm Ranson. Movement is by Lucy Cullingford.

Don Quixote
Garrick Theatre
2 Charing Cross Road
London
WC2H 0HH

Saturday 27 October 2018 - Saturday 2 February 2019
Press night: Thursday 8 November 2018

Monday - Saturday at 7:30pm
Wednesday and Saturday at 2:00pm
No matinees between Saturday 27 October and Wednesday 7 November
First matinee will be on Saturday 10 November

Box Office

Website: www.donquixoteplay.com/www.rsc.org.uk/london
Telephone: 0330 333 4811 / 01789 403493
Prices from £10 (Prices from £5 for 16-25 year olds only)

Tickets go on sale to the general public on Monday 25 June at 10am

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