DOCTOR WHO's Alex Kingston to Join Kenneth Branagh in MACBETH at Manchester

According to the Daily Mail, Alex Kingston (Doctor Who) will play the role of 'Lady Macbeth' opposite Kenneth Branagh in the 2013 Manchester International Festival production of Shakespeare's Macbeth, beginning July 5. Rehearsals start next month. Directed by Rob Ashford and Kenneth Branagh, this interpretation of Shakespeare's tragedy will unfold within the walls of an intimate deconsecrated Manchester Church.

"I'm excited -- and a bit terrified, as well -- about being given the challenge and being pushed," Kingston told the Mail. "It's going to be a workout, that's for sure. Emotional things are already starting to percolate."

Read the original report here.

Kingston began her theatrical career at the Royal Shakespeare Company. She has also appeared onstage in Michael Grandage's Luisa Miller at the Donmar Warehouse and played 'Desdemona' in Othello at Birmingham Rep. In 2006, Kingston starred in Garrick Theatre's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

Her television credits include ER, Without A Trace, Moll Flanders, Boudicca and 'River Song' on Doctor Who. Kingston's film credits include The Cook, the Thief His Wife & Her Lover, A Pin for the Butterfly, The Infiltrator, Croupier, Essex Boys, Boudica and more. She also appeared in ITV's Lost in Austen miniseries and the supernatural series Marchlands, and she will next appear on the TV show Arrow.

Branagh last performed Shakespeare when he played Richard III at the Sheffield Crucible in 2002. His recent stage performances as Edmund at The National Theatre and Ivanov for the Donmar played to great acclaim. In 2011, Branagh completed a sell-out run of the hit comedy The Painkiller at the Lyric Theatre in his native Belfast.

Rob Ashford has directed and choreographed productions on both sides of the Atlantic, from collaborations with the Donmar Warehouse and National Theatre to major Broadway productions. Ashford has a string of nominations and awards to his name which include: an Olivier Award for Anna Christie, with nominations for A Streetcar Named Desire and Parade (Donmar Warehouse), and a Tony Award forThoroughly Modern Millie, with nominations for productions including Evita and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. He also won an Emmy Award for his choreography at the 81st Academy Awards.

MIF will offer another chance to see Macbeth via a one-off live relay on a big screen in central Manchester. This will be an open air event; picnics, blankets and cushions are welcome.

This production of Macbeth is commissioned and produced by Manchester International Festival. Manchester International Festival 2013 will run from Thursday 4 July - Sunday 21 July 2013. Register for updates at www.mif.co.uk.

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