Full casting announced for RSC’s THE TEMPEST
Full casting has been announced for the RSC’s forthcoming production of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, directed by Richard Eyre, which runs in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon between 13 May–20 June.
As previously announced, the production sees Kenneth Branagh making a return to Stratford-upon-Avon for the first time in over 30 years to take up the role of Prospero for the first time, having worked on thirty-five productions of Shakespeare across his career.
Joining Kenneth are Ruby Stokes (The Other Place, National Theatre/The Shed NYC) as Miranda, Fred Woodley Evans (Wendy & Peter Pan, Barbican) as Ferdinand, Amara Okereke (Top Hat, UK tour) as Ariel, and Ashley Zhangazha (MJ the Musical, West End) as Caliban.
Completing the cast are David Bark-Jones as Alonso, Keir Charles as Trinculo, Guy Henry as Stephano, Paul Jesson as Gonzalo, Mark Meadows as Antonio, Henry Pettigrew as Sebastian, Darrell Brockis as Boatswain, Halle Brown as Spirit, Philip Childs as Master, Stuart Edgar (Offstage Understudy), Amber Sylvia Edwards as Spirit, Tallulah Hamilton Barr (Offstage Understudy), and Razak Osman as Spirit.
On announcing the cast, director Richard Eyre said: “This is the first time I have directed a Shakespeare play at Stratford, and I am thrilled to be bringing The Tempest to life for the RSC with a remarkable cast led by Kenneth Branagh and exceptional creative team including design by Bob Crowley.
“The play remains endlessly fascinating — I see it as Shakespeare’s autobiography, a meditation on art and freedom. Of course, there are themes of power, belonging, and colonisation that have long invited new readings and responses. The Tempest is a story shaped by encounters between cultures and systems of power, a story of revenge and magic, and I am thrilled to be working with such an incredible company to tell this story.”
Joining Eyre on the creative team are set designer Bob Crowley, costume designer Fotini Dimou, lighting designer Hugh Vanstone, composers Akintayo Akinbode and Stephen Warbeck, sound designer Nicola T. Chang, video designer Akhila Krishnan, movement & intimacy director Annie-Lunnette Deakin-Foster, and casting director Charlotte Sutton CDG.