Full casting announced for RSC’s CYRANO DE BERGERAC with Adrian Lester in title role
Full casting has been announced for the RSC’s forthcoming production of Cyrano de Bergerac, which plays in the Swan Theatre from 27 September-15 November.
Edmond Rostand’s thrilling, lyrical tale of love and lies, longing and disguise, in a new version by Simon Evans and Debris Stevenson, stars the previously announced Olivier Award-winning actor Adrian Lester, who makes his RSC debut as Cyrano, alongside Susannah Fielding (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Bridge Theatre) as Roxane, and Levi Brown (Macbeth, UK/Global tour) as Christian, with Joseph Christain as Edmond (Young Reserve), Sunny Chung as Sister Claire/Madame Jodolet, Philip Cumbus as Le Bret, Greer Dale-Foulkes as Abigail, Rachel Dawson as Band Member/Ensemble, Oliver Grant as Band Leader/Ensemble, Scott Handy as Comte de Guiche, Caolan McCarthy as Arnauld, David Mildon as Jodolet/ Carbon (Reserve), Matt Mordak as Valvert/Pierre (Reserve), Chris Nayak as Monfleury/Priest/Bernard (Reserve), Daniel Norford as Louis (Reserve), and Christian Patterson as Ragueneau.
Director Simon Evans said: "Cyrano de Bergerac is one of the great plays: swashbuckling, swaggering, aching with the unspoken; and what excites me most is the chance to approach it without irony. I’m a little tired of the trend for winking, knowing productions that seem afraid to feel too much or mean what they say.
“This is a play about feeling and how we communicate it. How language seduces, protects, wounds, and heals, and it’s a thrill to work on it with Debris Stevenson: finding an approach to the text that celebrates the original and finds new ways of unlocking it. Adrian Lester is remarkable, and brings a fierce intelligence and vulnerability to Cyrano: quick witted and stirring; while Susannah Fielding’s Roxane will be funny, sharp, emotionally fearless. Together (and alongside the remarkable cast we’ve put together) they’ll light the whole story from the inside and make it feel fresh, wild and exciting.
“This version is big-hearted, quick-witted, sharp tongued, and unapologetically sincere: period enough to lose yourself in, modern enough to feel like it’s speaking directly to us about love, longing, and how we show ourselves to the world.”
Completing the creative team are set and costume designer Grace Smart, lighting designer Joshie Harriette, composer Alex Baranowski, sound designer Donato Wharton, movement director Sarita Piotrowski, fight and intimacy director Bethan Clark, and casting director Matthew Dewsbury CDG.