Royal & Derngate Announce Their Autumn Season

From the opulent 16th Century Amalfi court to the beautiful, serene landscape of the Italian Riviera in the 1950s, the Royal & Derngate's pairing of plays for the Autumn season chooses Italy as the stage for two psychological dramas incorporating deception, love, murder and revenge. First up is The Talented Mr Ripley, Phyllis Nagy's poetic adaptation of the novel by Patricia Highsmith, brimming with sexual desire, intrigue and warped fantasies, which takes to the Royal stage from Friday 17 September to Saturday 9 October. Next is John Webster's enduring study of Renaissance evil, The Duchess of Malfi; newly adapted and directed by Laurie Sansom, which runs from Friday 15 to Saturday 30 October. The Made in Northampton Autumn season follows on from the Hometown Summer season, which included the critically acclaimed Town by DC Moore.

Sparkling turquoise waters, sun-drenched beaches and the idyllic charm of the '50s Italian Riviera forms an incongruous backdrop to a darkly compelling study of obsession, duplicity and betrayal in The Talented Mr Ripley. Adapted by contemporary dramatist Phyllis Nagy from Patricia Highsmith's bestselling psychological thriller, the turbulent tale follows the eponymous Tom Ripley, an enigmatic conman with a flair for manipulation and deceit. Sent to Italy under the guise of coaxing home the wayward son of a wealthy financier, his web of lies steadily spreads until murder becomes his only escape. Directed by the acclaimed Raz Shaw, whose work includes Gambling at Soho Theatre and A Midsummer Night's Dream at The Globe, this is a fascinating take on Highsmith's classic novel.

Lust, vengeance and madness collide in John Webster's devastating Jacobean masterpiece, The Duchess of Malfi, which deals with a series of real events that took place amidst the corruption and decadence of a 16th Century Italian court. The Duchess remains one of the stage's most compelling and complex characters. Charting her secret marriage to her steward, Antonio Bologna and their subsequent hounding by her Machiavellian brothers, the play is an extraordinary vision of one woman's courage and dignity in the face of a dark and terrifying world. Charlotte Emmerson, whose recent credits include Serenading Louie at the Donmar and Thérèse in Émile Zola's Thérèse Raquin at the National, plays the Duchess. This atmospheric and electrifying new adaptation is by Royal & Derngate's Artistic Director, Laurie Sansom, fresh from directing the sell out Young America season, which transferred to the National for an extended summer run.

It features live music by influential late-Renaissance composer, Carlo Gesualdo, the Prince of Venosa; one of early music's most notorious individuals, Gesualdo's murderous past is echoed in his painfully beautiful madrigals obsessed with love, guilt and retribution. Performed by five singers under the musical direction of acclaimed British counter tenor, Jonathan Peter Kenny, this will be a thrilling journey into the dark world of the Jacobean Court.

To book tickets visit www.royalandderngate.co.uk / or call Box Office on 01604 624811
Individual ticket prices range from £11 to £27

The Talented Mr Ripley:

Friday 17 September to Saturday 9 October (excluding Sundays)
Evenings 7.45pm

Matinees - Thursday and Saturday 2.30pm (excl. Sat 18 September)
Post Show Talk - Tue 28 September

Creative Team
Director Raz Shaw
Designer HannaH Clark
Lighting Designer Anna Watson
Sound Designer Carolyn Downing
Composer Olly Fox
Movement Director Georgina Lamb

Performance Schedule - The Duchess of Malfi

Friday15 October to Saturday 30 October (excluding Sundays)

Evenings 7.45pm
Matinees - Thursday and Saturday 2.30pm (excl. Sat 16 Oct)

Creative Team
Director Laurie Sansom
Designer (Linbury Prize Finalist) Ruth Sutcliffe
Musical Director Jonathan Peter Kenny
Sound Designer Gareth Fry
Movement Director Georgina Lamb