Ian McDiarmid, Andrew Scott, Zoe Wanamaker, et al. Set for National Theatre’s Spring/Early Summer Season

The National Theatre has announced complete casting for its production of Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard, which begins previews on March 10 in the company’s Olivier Theatre.

Alongside the previously reported Zoe Wanamaker, playing Ranyevskaya, the company will feature Claudie Blakley (as Varya), Mark Bonnar (Trofimov), Pip Carter (Yepihodov), Kenneth Cranham (Firs), Paul Dodds, Craige Els, Mark Fleischmann, Colin Haigh, Conleth Hill (Lopakhin), Gerald Kyd (Yasha), James Laurenson (Gaev), Tim McMullan (Simyonov-Pischik), Jessica Regan, Tim Samuels, Emily Taaffe (Dunyasha), Stephanie Thomas, Joseph Thompson, Rosie Thomson, Ellie Turner, Charity Wakefield (Anya) and Sarah Woodward (Charlotta). Howard Davies will direct the production, which will be designed by Bunny Christie, with lighting by Neil Austin, music by Dominic Muldowney and sound by Paul Groothuis.

The National has also announced full casting for the musical London Road, which, directed by Rufus Norris, will begin previews on April 7 in the Cottesloe Theatre in anticipation of an official opening on April 14. With book and lyrics by Alecky Blythe, music and lyrics by Adam Cork, the piece focuses how the everyday life of the rural town of Ipswich was shattered by the discovery of the bodies of five women and the subsequent investigation of the murder.

For this show, Clare Burt, Hal Fowler, Howard Ward and Duncan Wisbey will join the previously announced Rosalie Craig, Kate Fleetwood, Nick Holder, Claire Moore, Michael Shaeffer, Nicola Sloane, and Paul Thornley. The designer will be Katrina Lindsay, with lighting by Bruno Poet, music direction by David Shrubsole, movement by Javier de Frutos and sound by Paul Arditti.

In addition, Oliver Chris, Martyn Ellis, Trevor Laird, Claire Lams, Fred Ridgeway, Daniel Rigby, Jemima Rooper and Suzie Toase will join the previously reported James Corden in One Man, Two Guvnors, Richard Bean’s adaptation of Carlo Goldoni’s The Servant of Two Masters. Directed by Cal McCrystal, the production, beginning performances on May 17 in the Lyttleton Theatre, will be designed by Mark Thompson, with lighting by Mark Henderson, music by Grant Olding and sound design by Arditti.

The company of Henrik Ibsen’s Emperor and Galilean, which begins performances in the Olivier on June 7, will be comprised of stars Andrew Scott (Julian) and Ian McDiarmid (Maximus), as well as Jamie Ballard, Simon Coombs, Daniel Flynn, John Heffernan, Chris Jared, James McArdle, Simon Merrells, Carole Nimmons, Genevieve O’Reilly, Lara Rossi, Prasanna Puwanarajah and Sargon Yelda. Jonathan Kent will direct the show, which will use Ben Power’s new adaptation and use a company of 50.

In addition to this casting news, the National has announced the dates for Katie Mitchell’s production of Thomas Heyward’s rarely seen Jacobean tragedy A Woman Killed with Kindness, which will begin performances on July 12 in the Lyttleton in anticipation of an official opening on July 19. The company has also announced a 12 performance return engagement of Hamlet, starring Rory Kinnear, which will play the Lyttleton April 13-23.

Finally, works by James Graham, Nell Leyshon, Katori Hall, Helen Blakeman, Samuel Adamson, Alia Bano, Carl Grose, Molly Davies, Noel Clarke, and Douglas Maxwell will be part of the National’s Connections Festival, to run June 29 – July 4, which highlights new plays for young people.

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