Full Casting Announced in THE DANCE OF DEATH - Daniel Lapaine, Kevin R McNally and More

THE DANCE OF DEATH by August Strindberg, in a new version by Conor McPherson, part of the Donmar Trafalgar Season will be presented 13 December 2012 - 5 January 2013.  Press night is Monday, 17 December at 7pm.  Director: Titas Halder, Designer: Richard Kent, Lighting Designer : Richard Howell, and Composer and Sound Designer: Alex Baranowski

Full casting is announced. Daniel Lapaine, Kevin R McNally and Indira Varma will appear in Conor McPherson’s new version of Strindberg’s play.

On an isolated island, Military captain Edgar (Kevin R McNally) and his wife, Alice (Indira Varma), live a bitter life, their marriage soured by hatred. When the possibility of redemption and escape arrives for Alice in the shape of their former friend Kurt (Daniel Lapaine), it seems that Edgar is prepared to use his very last breath to make their lives a living hell.

Daniel Lapaine has appeared in Hedda Gabler at the Old Vic, All My Sons at the Apollo Theatre and Scenes from the Back of Beyond and F**king Games both at the Royal Court. In Australia he has worked with the Sydney Theatre Company, Belvoir Street Theatre and Bell Shakespeare Company. He has appeared in numerous feature films including Dead in Tombstone, Zero Dark Thirty, Muriel’s Wedding and Jack the Giant Killer.

Kevin R McNally’s previous work for the Donmar includes Hamlet, Ivanov (both Donmar West End) and World Music. His other theatre work has seen numerous appearances at The National Theatre, the Royal Court, the Old Vic, Hampstead Theatre and throughout the West End. His hugely prolific television career has seen him appear in Downton Abbey, CSI and Miss Marple amongst many others. His film work includes all four of the Pirates of the Caribbean series as well as The Raven, Valkyrie and The Phantom of the Opera.

Indira Varma’s previous work for the Donmar includes Twelfth Night (Donmar West End), The Vortex and Privates on Parade. She has also performed at the Royal Court, the Young Vic, the Almeida, The National Theatre and on Broadway. Her film work includes her debut in Karma Sutra and Bride and Prejudice and on television she appeared in Silk, Luther, Hustle, and Torchwood amongst many others.

Strindberg’s compelling battle of wills is laced with black comedy and biting humour. McPherson brings his uniquely humane voice to this visceral new version. Born in Sweden in 1849, Strindberg was a leading figure in the Naturalism movement. His principal works include Mäster Olaf (1872), The Father (1887), Miss Julie (1888), Creditors (1890), The Ghost Sonata (1907) and The Storm (1907). Amongst his later plays were The Dance of Death (1901) and A Dream Play (1905), seen as forerunners to the Expressionism of post-war theatre. Strindberg died in 1912.

Conor McPherson is an Irish writer and director. His plays include This Lime Tree Bower (Meyer Whitworth Award), St Nicholas (George Devine Award), Dublin Carol (staged as part of last year’s Donmar Trafalgar Season), The Weir (Evening Standard, Critics’ Circle and Olivier Awards for Best Play), Port Authority, Shining City, The Seafarer, The Birds and The Veil.

Titas Halder was Resident Assistant Director at the Donmar from 2010-2011, working on King Lear, Passion, The Prince of Homburg, The Late Middle Classes and Polar Bears. As a director, his work includes The Goat at Midnight, Sixty Six Books (Bush Theatre), Painting a Wall (Finborough Theatre), Write to Rock (Clwyd Theatr Cymru); and as a playwright, Darkling (Prithvi Theatre/Paines Plough), Jugantor (Finborough Vibrant! Festival), Replica (nabokov). He was previously Creative Associate at the Bush Theatre and Literary Associate at the Finborough Theatre.

For more information, visit: www.donmarwarehouse.com