John Lithgow To Make RSC Debut in Twelfth Night

Two-time Tony Award winner John Lithgow will make his Royal Shakespeare Company debut in Neil Bartlett’s production of Twelfth Night. The show will play The Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon from August 30 through October 6 and will open officially on September 5.

Lithgow, who will play Malvolio, earned his Tonys for The Sweet Smell of Success and The Changing Room. He was also Tony-nominated for his performances in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, M. Butterfly, and Requiem for a Heavyweight. His other theater credits include Mrs. Farnsworth, The Retreat from Moscow, and Comedians, and he has appeared in such films as Dreamgirls, Terms of Endearment, and The World According to Garp. Lithgow is well known for his starring role in the TV series Third Rock from the Sun, for which he received a Golden Globe, two SAG awards, and The American Comedy Award.

Bartlett’s production will feature cross-gender casting, with some female actors taking on male parts and vice versa. The director’s adaptation of Oliver Twist toured the U.S. last season. From 1994 to 2004, Bartlett served as artistic director of the Lyric Hammersmith, where he directed 37 productions including an Olivier-nominated Pericles as well as RSC co-productions The Prince of Homberg and The Dispute.

The cast of Twelfth Night also includes Tobias Beer, Matt Blair, Tim Chipping, James Clyde, Tom Davey, Daniel Francis, Stewart W Fraser, Joanna Howarth, Annabel Leventon, Iain McKee, Jason Merrells, Simon Merrells, Chris New, Barnaby Power, Siobhan Redmond, Rachael Spence, and Marjorie Yates. The production is designed by Kandis Cook, with music composed by Simon Deacon and lighting designed by Chris Davey.

For more information, visit www.rsc.org.uk.