Michael Sheen Led HAMLET Begins Tonight

Michael Sheen, one of the finest actors of his generation, plays Hamlet under the direction of one of Britain's leading directors Ian Rickson (Jerusalem), who makes his Shakespearean debut with this electrifying new production. The world-class creative team includes designer Jeremy Herbert (The Glass Menagerie; Young Vic), costume designer Nicky Gillibrand (Government Inspector; Young Vic, Anna Nicole; ROH) and Punchdrunk associate director Maxine Doyle (Masque of the Red Death; BAC) who will choreograph.

They are joined by a stellar cast drawn from the worlds of film, musicals, theatre and TV including Adeel Akhtar (Faisal in Chris Morris's Four Lions) as Guildenstern/Francisco, Told by an Idiot co-founder Hayley Carmichael (Sweet Nothings; Young Vic) as Horatio, James Clyde (Peter Hall's Twelfth Night; NT, Neil Bartlett's Romeo & Juliet; RSC) as Claudius, Sally Dexter (Mother Superior in Sister Act, Mrs Wilkinson in Billy Elliot; West End) as Gertrude, Callum Dixon (Government Inspector; Young Vic) as Marcellus, Pip Donaghy (The Deep Blue Sea/ Rattigan's Nijinsky; Chichester Festival Theatre) as Barnardo, Michael Gould (Earthquakes in London, Our Class, Women of Troy; All NT) as Polonius, Vinette Robinson (Tender Napalm; Southwark Playhouse, Welcome to Thebes; NT, Sugar Mummies; Royal Court and BBC's Sherlock) as Ophelia, Eileen Walsh (Disco Pigs; Bush Theatre and film The Magdalene Sisters) as Rosencrantz and Benedict Wong (whose films include Ridley Scott's upcoming Prometheus, Duncan Jones' Moon and Danny Boyle's Sunshine) will play Laertes.

More Hamlet tickets (from £10 - £29.50) will go on sale at 10am on Tuesday 27th September. Please see youngvic.org for details.

Michael Sheen has been greatly admired for his astonishing portrayals of real life figures; Tony Blair in Stephen Frears's film The Queen (earning a BAFTA nomination) and TV dramas The Special Relationship and The Deal, Brian Clough in The Damned United, David Frost in Frost/ Nixon (on stage at the Donmar where he was nominated for an Olivier Award and an Evening Standard Award, and on screen, receiving an Evening Standard Film Award) and Kenneth Williams in BBC drama Fantabulosa. His recent films include Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris, Tron Legacy, Beautiful Boy, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Breaking Dawn Part 1 and soon to be released Breaking Dawn Part 2. On stage, he was nominated for an Olivier and an Outer Critics Circle Award for Amadeus (Old Vic, LA and Broadway), he won an Evening Standard Award, a Critics Circle Award and was nominated for an Olivier for Caligula (Donmar) and he was nominated for both an Olivier and Evening Standard award for Look Back in Anger (NT). Other theatre credits include When She Danced (Globe), Henry V (RSC), The UN Inspector, The Homecoming and Ends of the Earth (all NT). He most recently directed and performed in an extraordinary promenade production of The Passion for The National Theatre Wales.

Ian Rickson comes to the Young Vic following the phenomenal success of Jerusalem, which took the Royal Court, West End and Broadway by storm winning Tony, Olivier and Evening Standard Awards. His other highly acclaimed recent productions include The Children's Hour and Betrayal (both West End). He was artistic director of the Royal Court from 1997 to 2007 where he programmed cutting edge playwrights such as Sarah Kane, Conor McPherson, Simon Stephens, Jez Butterworth and debbie tucker green. His directing credits at the Royal Court include The Weir for which he was nominated for an Olivier Award, The Seagull (also Broadway), Krapp's Last Tape, Mojo, The Winterling, Mouth to Mouth (also West End) and The AlIce Trilogy. Other credits include Hedda Gabler (Broadway), Parlour Song (Almeida) and The Hothouse (NT).

Multimedia artist and stage designer Jeremy Herbert recently designed The Glass Menagerie at the Young Vic. He has collaborated with Ian Rickson several times before on Parlour Song (Almeida), Ashes and Sand, The Lights and The AlIce Trilogy (all Royal Court). Other credits at the Royal Court include Cleansed, 4.48 Psychosis, Thyestes, The Ugly One and Bliss.

Choreography is by Punchdrunk associate director and choreographer Maxine Doyle. Her co-directing credits with Punchdrunk include Sleep No More (New York, London, Boston), Firebird's Ball, Faust, Masque of the Red Death, Tunnel 228 and The Duchess of Malfi. Her other credits include The Beggar's Opera (Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park), The Children's Hour (West End), Timons of Athens (Globe) and Every Good Boy Deserves Favour (NT).

Hamlet is directed by Ian Rickson and designed by Jeremy Herbert, with costumes by Nicky Gillibrand, light by Adam Silverman, sound by Gareth Fry, music by Stephen Warbeck, choreography by Maxine Doyle and casting by Sam Jones.