Geoffrey Streatfeild & Claudie Blakley to Lead MACBETH at The Crucible, Sheffield, this Winter

Artistic Director Daniel Evans today announced that Geoffrey Streatfeild and Claudie Blakley will lead the company of Macbeth – the first Crucible production of the company's autumn season – which opens on Wednesday 5 September and runs until Saturday 6 October.

War. Three witches and a prophecy. An assassination. Visions and ghosts. Murder. A suicide. And War.

Claudie Blakley plays Lady Macbeth. She previously appeared in Lear at Sheffield Theatres. Her other theatre credits include The Comedy of Errors, The Cherry Orchard, Attempts on Her Life (National Theatre), Di and Viv and Rose (Hampstead Theatre), Love and Money (Young Vic), A Girl With a Man in a Car (Royal Court), All's Well That Ends Well (RSC & West End) and The Lady From the Sea (Almeida Theatre). For television, her work includes New Tricks, The Night Watch, Nativity, Blue Geranium, Larkrise to Candleford, Cranford Chronicles, Dirty Filthy Love and Playing the Field; and for film, Lennon Naked, Bright Star, London to Brighton, Severance, Pride and Prejudice and Gosford Park.

Geoffrey Streatfeild returns to Sheffield Theatres to play Macbeth. Most recently he appeared in Copenhagen as part of the theatre's season of work dedicated to the playwright Michael Frayn. His other theatre work includes Earthquakes in London, Pains of Youth, The History Boys (National Theatre), Eigengrau, The Contingency Plan (Bush Theatre), and for the RSC, Henry V, Henry IV Parts 1 & 2, Henry VI Parts 1 & 2 and Richard III. His television work includes The Thick of It, Spooks (series regular), Case Sensitive, Above Suspicion, Elizabeth I, The Other Boleyn Girl and Love in a Cold Climate; and for film, Private Peaceful, City Slacker, Matchpoint and Kinky Boots.

Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres Daniel Evans directs. For Sheffield Theatres he previously directed An Enemy of the People – the opening production of his inaugural season, Racing Demon as part of The David Hare Season and most recently Othello. As an actor, his previous work for the company includes Company, The Pride, Cloud Nine and The Tempest. An award-winning actor and director, Evans' work includes Sunday in the Park with George (Menier Chocolate Factory, Wyndham's Theatre and Broadway) – a role for which he won the Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical (his second Olivier Award, the first being for Merrily We Roll Along in 2001) and a Tony Award nomination. His extensive credits include work with the Donmar Warehouse, Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Court Theatre and National Theatre. Evans is a Fellow of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Joining the Creative Team alongside Daniel Evans are Designer Richard Kent, Lighting Designer David Plater and Composer & Sound Designer Richard Taylor.

Macbeth is the final production as part of the East Midlands Trains First Time Fridays scheme. East Midlands Trains has supported this initiative which is designed to encourage new bookers to visit the theatre by offering tickets at the reduced price of 40p throughout the 40th anniversary year. There are 40 East Midlands Trains First Time Friday tickets available on each Friday performance in the Crucible Theatre during the anniversary year.

Tickets for Macbeth are on sale to the public now. Tickets are priced from £17.00 - £25.00 and can be booked by calling the Sheffield Theatres Box Office on 0114 249 6000 or at sheffieldtheatres.co.uk