Michael Attenborough To Direct Kinnear, Maxwell Martin And Miles In MEASURE FOR MEASURE

Michael Attenborough will direct Rory Kinnear as Angelo, Anna Maxwell Martin as Isabella and Ben Miles as the Duke in William Shakespeare's Measure for Measure previewing 11 February, with press night on 18 February and running until 10 April 2010. Designs are by Lez Brotherston with lighting by David Hersey, music by Stephen Warbeck, sound by John Leonard and movement by Imogen Knight. Public booking for Measure for Measure opens 12 November 2009.

Set in a Vienna dominated by the sex trade Shakespeare's, Measure for Measure, is a play of political intrigue and moral responsibility, Vincentio, the Duke, seeks to return order to his city. He announces that he is to travel abroad and appoints the strait laced Angelo in his place. Vincentio secretly disguises himself as a friar to keep a watchful eye on the new regime. When Isabella, a novice nun, finds her brother is sentenced to death for a sexual misdemeanour she visits Angelo to beg for his life.

Rory Kinnear has most recently been seen on stage at the National Theatre in Burnt by the Sun, The Revenger's Tragedy, Southwark Fair, Man of Mode for which he won the Ian Charleson Award and the Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting role, and Philistines for which he also won the Ian Charleson Award. His other stage credits include Festen for The Almeida Theatre in the West End, Mary Stuart for the Donmar Warehouse, Hamlet for the Old Vic and Cymbeline and Taming of the Shrew for the Royal Shakespeare Company. His many television credits include Ashes to Ashes, Waking the Dead, Steptoe and Son, Margaret Thatcher the Long Walk to Finchley, Mansfield Park, Silent Witness and Second Coming. On film his credits include Wild Target and Quantum of Solace.

BAFTA award-winning actor Anna Maxwell Martin has most recently played Molly in The Female of the Species at the Vaudeville Theatre, and Sally Bowles in Rufus Norris' production of Cabaret at the Lyric Theatre. Previously her theatre credits include The Entertainer and Dumb Show both for the Royal Court, His Dark Materials, Honour, Three Sisters and The Coast of Utopia for the National Theatre and Little Foxes for the Donmar Warehouse. On television her credits include Poppy Shakespeare, The Wind in the Willows, Dr Who, North and South and Midsomer Murders as well as Esther in Bleak House, Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 in which she played Neil Armstrong's wife Janet, and the leading role in White Girl for the BBC. On film she played Cassandra in Becoming Jane opposite Anne Hathaway and Many opposite Joseph Mawle in Freefall, as well as roles in The Other Man, Enduring Love and The Hours.

Ben Miles was last on stage in Matthew Warchus' production of The Norman Conquests both at the Old Vic and on Broadway. His other theatre credits include My Child for the Royal Court, Bollingbroke in Richard II for the Old Vic, The Cherry Orchard, The London Cuckolds and Mary Stuart for the National Theatre and Two Gentlemen of Verona, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet for the Royal Shakespeare Company. He made his Almeida debut in Howard Davies' production of The Tower. His many television appearances include leading roles in Coupling, Cold Feet and Lark Rise to Candleford, as well as roles in Prime Suspect, Hustle,Sea of Souls and Trial and Retribution. On his film credits include Speed Racer, V for Vendetta, The Affair of the Necklace and Wings of a Dove.

Previously Michael Attenborough has directed Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and The Merchant of Venice as well as Royal Shakespeare Company productions of Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Antony and Cleopatra and Henry IV parts I and II. In 2007 Attenborough was invited to lead a two week International Shakespeare Workshop in Australia where he worked with a company of multi-national artists. As Artistic Director of The Almeida Theatre Company since 2002 Michael Attenborough's productions have been The Mercy Seat, Five Gold Rings, Brighton Rock, The Late Henry Moss, Enemies, There Came A Gypsy Riding, Big White Fog, Awake and Sing!, The Homecoming, In a Dark Dark House and When the Rain Stops Falling. He was Artistic Director at The Hampstead Theatre for five years (1984-89), and then joined the Royal Shakespeare Company for twelve years. On leaving the RSC, where he was Principal Associate Director, Attenborough was invited to become an Honorary Associate Artist.

 

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